The Astonishing Aftermath
by Yournumber1Angel
Summary: After The End. All the Baudelaires wanted was a safe life away from all the hate, greed, and evil. But the Baudelaires are never that lucky... So they'll have to make their own luck. Do not read if you are frightened by secret passageways, petty highschool brats, or almost fist fights.
1. Chapter 1

The Astonishing Aftermath

"_There are some who say that the Baudelaires rejoined V.F.D and are engaged in brave _

_errands to this day, perhaps under different names to avoid being captured. There are _

_others who say that they perished at sea, although rumors of one's death crop up so _

_often, and are so often revealed to be untrue. But in any case, as my investigations over,_

_we have indeed reached the last chapter of the Baudelaires' story, even if the Baudelaires_

_had not."_

One year later:

Violet sat up in her small bed and stretched. Yawning, she threw back the covers. As her feet hit the cold floor, she shivered and slipped on her slippers. She walked to the window and pulled open the curtains. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the bright light of sunrise. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. 7:00. Good. The others would still be asleep.

She opened her door quietly and peeked into the hall. When all stayed quiet, she hurried down the hall into the bathroom for a quick shower. The water was warm and felt so good. By the time she was done, she was wide awake and feeling very refreshed. She, then, made herself a simple breakfast. It wasn't as good as if Sunny had made it, but she didn't want to wake her little sister. At 8:30, she went and woke Klaus to tell him she was heading off to work. He grumbled a response then rolled over and went back to sleep.

Violet walked to work in the crisp morning air. She smiled slightly as she unlocked the door and walked to the back of the building where her office was. Her office was actually more of an inventing studio rather than a regular work place. She enjoyed her work for the most part. She had been surprised that Mr. Malow (her employer) had actually agreed to take her on, with her being so young. Violet sighed and looked up at the calendar hanging by her very large desk. One month. One more month till her 17th birthday. 17. Was she really that old? Had it really been 3 years since the first unfortunate fire that had turned her life upside down? Had it really been so long ago when she last saw her friends? Duncan, Isadora, Fiona (yes she considered her a friend but not a very close one since her betrayal)…. Quigley. A small, shy smile played on her lips as she thought of him who she was particularly fond of. She rested her head on her head and began to daydream. What would it be like to see them again? How would they react to the sight of the Baudelaires after everything that happened? Oh, how she longed to see them again… to see him again. Would he forgive her? Would he understand? Would he smile that wonderful smile of his that was so different than the smiles of his brother and sister? Would he even- Violet's thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice announcing its presence.

"Violet, I'm here. I see you've already opened up the shop." Mr. Malow said as he appeared in her doorway.

Violet smiled at the chubby, middle-aged man. "Don't I always?"

Mr. Malow laughed. "Of course. I really shouldn't be surprised by your earliness anymore."

Violet again smiled at the man before her. He wasn't short, but he wasn't very tall either. He was a bit round and had thick, red cheeks. His eyes were kind and warm, and his hair was cut so it was close to his round head.

The man bid her good morning and headed for his office which was further to the front than hers.

The rest of the day was slow so Violet got a lot of leftover work done. At 3, they locked up and headed to their homes.

When Violet arrived home at 3:30, she was welcomed by the rest of the family. At 6, they all sat down for supper. Klaus (who would be 16 in a few months) told about the previous book he was reading. Sunny (who was almost 5) asked Klaus about his book and Violet about her day at work. Beatrice (who had just turned 3) listened intently trying to pick up new words. After supper, they all sat on the sofa (Beatrice in Violet's lap) and watched TV together. After they became bored with that, Violet would tell them a story. After Sunny laughed and commented on Violet's "story-telling" skills, Violet smiled mischievously and proceeded to chase Sunny about the house. Klaus and Beatrice giggled and followed suit not long after. They all ended up in a heap in the midle of the living room, laughing until their sides hurt. They then ate some icecream and got ready for bed. Klaus settled in by the fire with his book. Violet went upstairs and tucked the two youngest Baudelaires in and kissed them good night. She then made her way to her room and crawled into bed and fell asleep.

And, so, this pattern continued as it had since the day they had landed here and made a home for themselves. But they didn't mind. They were happy for the first time in a long while. They didn't mind going through the daily routine. It was steady, predictable. That's what they had prayed for those 4 unfortunate years. Stability. Peace. Safety. And it continued….. until Violet's 17th birthday.


	2. Chapter 2

ok here's chapter 2. I don't own anything but the plot.

It was in the middle of the day, while Violet was still at the shop.

She had woken up that morning to a surprise. Klaus, Sunny, and even little Beatrice were up. As she had come down the stairs, they screamed, "Surprise! Happy Birthday, Violet."

Violet had smiled. "You know, y'all really didn't have to do all this for me." she said as she looked around the room which was covered in balloons, streamers, and other decorations.

Klaus grinned at his older sister. "Of course we did! It's not everyday you turn 17."

They had eaten breakfast and then had cake. Sunny blushed and used her foot to draw circles in the carpet floor when Violet and the others complimented her for her wonderful cooking. A few minutes later, Violet had headed off to work smiling happily. Now she was in her "office" working on fixing an appliance that a customer had brought in. Mr. Malow had left a few minutes ago (after bidding her a happy birthday as well) to get some supplies. She was working intently when the bell above the door was heard.

"Hello?" called a deep voice.

"Back here." Violet called back. She soon heard footsteps approach her open door.

"How may I help you?" she asked absentmindedly as she heard him enter the office.

"Yes, I was looking for someone." the deep, masculine voice replied.

"Oh.. Well, Mr. Malow is out at the moment, but I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"oh.. Ok." was the somewhat timid response.

"It is a Very Fine Day, is it not?" the man asked after a brief silence.

"Yes…. It is." she said slowly.

"It is a good day to read a Vastly Fascinating Diary."

Violet blinked. 'Oh, no.' she thought. 'They've found us… wait, no. It is just a coincidence.'

"Yes, I suppose." she carefully replied to the man.

The man sighed and took a step closer. "Are you eating Vicariously Fried Dessert for your birthday?"

Violet froze. A million questions flew through her mind at lightning speed: Why does he keep using words that begin with V.F.D? Does he know about the organization? Is he apart of it? Has he come to capture me and the rest of my family? How did he find us? Is he a volunteer or a villain? Etc. She sat there for a few moments till se finally decided on what to ask the mysterious visitor.

"How did you know it was my birthday?" Violet demanded. She refused to look up for fear of what or who she might see.

"I didn't realize this was a sad occasion."

Violet's heart sank in her chest. She didn't know what to do. She knew that this strange man who came out of nowhere knew about her. She had to do something. She didn't speak for awhile. Instead, she thought and thought. What would her reply be? What would happen if she said the wrong thing? What was even the wrong thing to say? She thought and thought and thought until finally….

She looked up at the man standing before her. "The world is quiet here."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 again.. Don't own anything.

A small, sad smile appeared on the man's face.

"Hello… Miss Baudelaire."

Violet frowned and slowly stood. "What are you here for?" she questioned leaning over her desk.

"You." he said plainly. "And the rest of your family."

Violet narrowed her eyes. "And why should we go with you? We are perfectly happy here."

The man looked around as if there were someone hiding around the corner waiting to jump out at them. "It's not safe here."

"It seems completely safe. We've been here for about a year now and haven't been bothered… well, until now." she stated frankly eyeing the man incredulously.

The man sighed. "May I sit and explain?"

Violet thought for a second. She didn't like being rude, but she had no idea who or what (volunteer or villain) this man was.

"I know it's difficult to trust me; but, if you let me explain, I'm sure you'll understand." he said as if reading her mind.

"Very well." she said and gestured to the seat in front of her desk.

Both Violet and the man sat down. Violet folded her hands and rested them on her desk and waited patiently for him to begin.

The man took a deep breath and began his story.

"My name is Jeremy Cunning. You can call me J.C. I am a volunteer for the V.F.D. I was basically raised by them. My parents died when I was four so I don't have many memories of them. I was found by a volunteer and was taken to the V.F.D Academy where I learned that my parents had, in fact, been volunteers themselves. I worked hard and, as the years went by, slowly advanced in the ranks of the organization. I soon became one of the most top ranked volunteers. The only ones above me were Jacques Snicket, Kit Snicket, their brother…. And your parents. As you know, four out of those five are now deceased and the fifth…. Well, we're not sure were he is."

"So that makes you, basically, the leader of the V.F.D.?" Violet asked.

J.C. shook his head. "I'm not the only one. There is a group of us. And we've been searching for you for a while now. You see, when you and your siblings disappeared with Count Olaf into the sea, we were contacted by a very distracted Kit. She said that she and other volunteers had seen your signal that Hotel Denouement was no longer safe so we should not attend the meeting Thursday. It was only later that we discovered the horrible plan our enemies had for us all. As it turned out, Violet, you and your siblings saved a lot of lives."

Violet looked away. This didn't make her feel any less guilty for the lives they didn't save. Suddenly, she thought of Dewey Denouement. She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying.

J.C., noticing Violet's discomfort, decided to move one.

"We then received word from an artfully disguised volunteer that our enemies were after you. We had originally thought that if we left you alone then the villains would do the same and you would be forgotten, and then you could live out your life without them causing you anymore misfortune. but, as it happens, we were wrong. So finding you before they did became one of our top priorities."

Violet mused over this information for a bit.

"So when you finally discovered where we were, you came to protect us?"

J.C. nodded slowly. "Yes.. But we also need your help. The contributions you and your siblings could make to V.F.D. could help change the tide in the struggle between good and evil. You would be enrolled into the Academy and you will be taught the things you nee to know to become a volunteer. What do you say? Will you join us?"

Violet stared blankly ahead. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but she didn't know where to start. This wasn't just a decision she would be making for herself. This would affect Klaus, Sunny, and even little Beatrice.

Suddenly, the bell above the entrance to the little shop rang out.

"Violet, I'm back. It was a very interesting shopping trip. I met a man in the fruit section and he asked… oh, hello." Mr. Malow stood smiling in the doorway of Violet's office. "I see we have a customer."

J.C. smiled at the man and stood up. "Yes. Well, I should be leaving. I have a lot of work to catch up on." He turned to Violet. "Thank you for listening, Miss Violet. You were very helpful."

Mr. Malow frowned slightly. It had been awhile since they'd a stranger visit their shop, and he wanted to get to know the man a bit better. "Won't you stay for coffee?"

"Uhh… I don't know."

"I believe that is a good idea. Then we could finish our conversation.?" Violet said standing up. She wasn't about to let him disappear.

"Well, I suppose I could stay for a bit longer." J.C. said giving in to the curious man's request.

As Mr. Malow and J.C. drank their coffee (Violet hadn't wanted any), Mr. Malow finished his story.

"I was in the fruit section when a man approached me. He asked if a certain Violet Baudelaire worked for me. I replied that yes you did. He said he was an old friend and asked how you and your family were doing. We talked for almost twenty minutes, and all he wanted to know about was you and you family. Of course, I told him as little as I could seeing as how I wasn't sure if he was a friend or not."

"What did he look like?" Violet asked. She pushed down the hope that was rising in her stomach that it had been Hector or Duncan or possibly even Quigley.

"Hmm… well, he was somewhat tall. He was very scary. It was like an aura of malice surrounded him."

For the second time that day, Violet's heart sank. 'Please, oh please.' she thought. ' Don't let it be the man-'

"Oh, yes. And he had a beard but no hair." Mr. Malow added as he remembered tis particular fact.

J.C. almost choked on his coffee. As he looked up at Violet, he saw his own fear reflected in her eyes.

Violet felt as if she couldn't breathe. The rest of the conversation was a blur as she furiously thought on what to do. And when J.C. got up to leave, she knew what she had to do.

"J.C.!" she called after him when he was walking out the door. He turned to face her.

"I accept your offer. Come to our house tomorrow at this time. We will be ready to go." she said handing him a slip of paper with the address on it in Violet's neat handwriting.

Relief flooded over him. He smiled possibly the biggest smile that he had in months.

He took Violet's hand and shook it vigorously.

"Thank you… for volunteering."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.…. Sorry.. It's kinda short.

Don't own anything.

Both Violet and J.C. kept their promises. J.C. arrived at the address Violet had given him, and the Baudelaires were ready to go.

The other Baudelaires had no earthly idea what was going on for Violet had not had the chance to tell them. She had collected her wages for the month and had went straight to the market for a few supplies for the oncoming trip. She didn't know how long it would take them to reach the place J.C. had spoken of so she prepared for anything. She kept her eyes opened for the man with a beard but no hair and also for his equally villainous companion, the woman with hair but no beard. After she felt that she had enough provisions, she hurried home. She had immediately told the others to start packing then had headed up the stairs to pack as well. The others did not know what was going on, and little Beatrice was very frightened. But nonetheless, they continued the task given to them for they knew she would take care of them. Violet left a note for Mr. Malow explaining that there was an emergency and they had to leave immediately, but she left out any details.

When J.C. pulled into their little driveway, he got out and helped them put their things into the trunk of the car. Klaus, Sunny, and Beatrice chose to ride in the back seat with little Beatrice in the middle.

As Violet opened the passenger door, she stopped. She stared sadly at the house rising in front of her. J.C. had assured her that he would attend to the affairs they would leave unfinished. She sighed and wiped a single tear from her eye. She knew that it was a house and that this would probably not be the last one they would live in. but she couldn't help but feel a tug at her heart. They had worked countless hours to make it simply livable. So many wonderful memories had been made in the house. It was where Beatrice had read her first book; where Sunny had made her first full gourmet meal; where Klaus had finally finished reading the ENTIRE English dictionary; and where she had built her first working refrigerator. It had been safe, sheltered, in a way, from the evil lurking right outside its door. Their lives had been normal. There had been no villains after their fortune; no guardians who couldn't or wouldn't stop the villains from continually putting them in danger; and, possibly the most important, there had been no constant fleeing from the villainy of the world. They had stayed there in peace without having to disguise themselves or be in endless fear. But, as so often happens not only for the Baudelaires but for many others, this was not to last. They had been found by both villain and volunteer alike. Their solitude, their peace, had been intruded upon once again. And now, they had to leave. But go where? Where was this place J.C. had described to her? Did it even exist anymore? For a moment, she had the strong urge to get her family out of the car, go back inside and let J.C. drive of alone, and have everything return to normal. But she knew she could not do that. Besides, over the course of the last few years, running and constant fear had been "normal" for the Baudelaires. Living in peace was only what they dreamed of.

She was awakened out of her thoughts when J.C. started the car and the engine began to purr. She took one last look at the house then slid into the passenger seat.

"I promise, Baudelaires, we are going to a safe place." he said as he pulled out of the driveway and into the street.

"There are no safe places." Sunny replied quietly, but only Violet heard her. And as she looked out the window at the passing houses, lawns, and scattered trees; Violet prayed that, just maybe, Sunny was wrong.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry about it taking so long. I wrote most of it last night while I could barely keep my eyes open. Don't own anything.

The car ride was long and seemed to drag on endlessly. The residents of the backseat, a phrase which here means "Klaus, Sunny, and Beatrice Baudelaire", had fallen asleep a while ago. Violet, while trying to keep J.C. company, asked for answers to some of the many questions she had swirling about in her head. J.C. answered a few of her questions, but when she would ask about their destination was, he would only smile slightly and say, "We will be there soon, and then you can see for yourself." Violet would let out a small sigh and would again try to suppress the curiosity that surfaced. Violet soon came under the opinion (for she no longer trusted opinions at first appearances) that J.C. was a very pleasant and kind fellow who had, like her, seen more than his share of the cruelty of the world. So she talked with him. She heard his complete story. She listened attentively, a word which here means "listened closely to and absorbed every last, saddening detail." she listened because she understood. She knew how much relief it brought when you were finally able to tell your whole story. She listened because that was what she knew she would want. As he finished his story, a silence fell over the car. Violet pondered the information she had learned over the last hour and a half, being careful to go back over each little detail so she wouldn't forget anything. After this, she turned her head to look at him.

"I'm assuming that you already know our story." Violet said, breaking the long silence.

J.C. nodded. Of course he did. He seemed to know everything. Of course, Violet knew this couldn't be so, for no one can know everything, no matter how many people think they do. But she was sure he knew a lot. a lot about V.F.D. A lot about the now deceased Count Olaf. A lot about the also (she was sorry to say) deceased Kit. A lot about her parents. 'A lot about us.' Violet thought to herself as she turned to look at what was left of her family asleep in the backseat.

The thing many people fail to realize about stories is that they continue on even after they end. When you reach the end of a book, or a series of books for that matter, and you read the last sentence then close the book and go about your way, the story to which the book you just placed back on the wooden shelf has not ended yet. That particular part of the story may have ended, but the story itself has not. Usually, if you are reading a happy and giddy type book, it may end with the prince saving the kingdom from unknown doom and falling in love with the beautiful princess; but after the ending of that particular part of the noble prince's story, the princess may decide to marry another while the prince flees from the ill-informed authorities. If you chose a more depressing book, however, it may end with a dastardly villain laughing triumphantly while the three heroes shudder and move closer together in fear; but later on in the story of the three (later four) heroes may walk up the steps of a very large building to be greeted by the smiles and hugs of some long, lost friends and have a new benevolent beginning. As stated before, there is no true beginning and no true ending.

Violet's eyes fluttered open and she was awakened from her thoughts as the car came to an abrupt stop. She didn't remember when she had fallen asleep. She turned around in her seat and discovered that her siblings were still asleep. She looked to where J.C. had been sitting but found the driver's seat empty. Panic ran through her as she looked around but saw no one. Suddenly, her door opened and there stood a smiling J.C.

"Shall we?" he asked.

Violet nodded and stepped out of the car. While J.C. got the others out and went to get their bags, Violet took in her surroundings. In front of her was an enormous building surrounded by trees. Leading up to the building was a long dirt road which seemed to disappear into the thick forest. Violet concluded that this must have been the road they came in on for she couldn't see any others leading to what seemed to be a rather large house. If Violet took a few steps to the right, she could see a clearing about half the width of the building. Flowers grew all around the building which seemed to be carefully attended to. There were long steps leading up to what Violet presumed to be the entrance.

"Welcome to the V.F.D. Academy, Baudelaires. What do you think?" J.C. announced.

"Big." answered little Beatrice and the other Baudelaire orphans nodded in agreement.

J.C. chuckled and started up the steps with a suitcase in both hands and the Baudelaires following close behind with the rest of their luggage. When the doors where opened, the Baudelaires couldn't believe their eyes. They'd never seen anything quite like the room they now stood in. Even the Baudelaire mansion hadn't been so elegant.

As J.C. led them through the twisting corridors and hallways, they became even more amazed. They passed gigantic kitchens, luxurious sitting rooms, extensive laboratories, indoor swimming pools, and everything in between. There were that they weren't even what they were use for. But the ones that interested them most were the libraries. For all the libraries they passed were the exact same as the one that had once existed in the Baudelaire mansion. Finally, J.C. stopped in front of a set of rooms.

"These are your rooms. You may pick amongst yourselves."

They had soon decided on which rooms they wanted. Klaus would be on the far end with Violet next to him and Sunny and Beatrice (who had decided to share a room) were on the other side of her. After they had settled in, J.C. handed them a folded up sheet of paper.

"These are your maps. They should be easy to understand for we have a wonderful mapmaker. I will inform the others of our safe arrival (a phrase which here means "I will tell the other members of V.F.D. that are presently staying here that you are here"). you may look around if you wish." and with that, he disappeared around the corner.

The Baudelaires couldn't decide on what to do first so they agreed on splitting up but staying as close as possible and meeting back at the rooms in an hour if J.C. hadn't already come to fetch them.

J.C. had been right about the maps. Each of the Baudelaires found their destinations quite easily. Sunny had headed for the nearest kitchen while Klaus took Beatrice to the nearest library to read her a story. And, of course, Violet found the closest inventing studio/laboratory.

As she looked around, she couldn't decide on what to make first. There was so much she could do with all the tools and materials around the room. But, as she tied up her hair with her ribbon, she heard someone open the door.

"I knew I'd find you in one of these labs." said a very familiar voice.

Violet turned around to face the unexpected visitor. Her eyes widen when see saw who the voice belong to.

"It can't be."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry about this chapter taking so long. Holidays and Midterms L. Anyway, here it is. Hope you like.

Violet stood frozen in place. She willed her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"Aren't ya going to say hi?" asked her visitor with a smile. Suddenly, Violet seemed to melt and a smile slowly appeared on her face. Then, diving forward, she threw her arms around the person standing in front of her.

"Quigley!"

Quigley's smile grew larger as he hugged the ecstatic girl to him.

"I thought I'd never see you again. What happened to you?" Violet asked, looking up at the boy but not daring to let him go for fear he'd disappear again. "And when did you get so tall?"

Quigley laughed lightheartedly and hugged her closer not wanting to let her go for the same fear.

"It's kind of a long story, and we don't have much time. I was sent to get you. You are supposed to meet the volunteers staying here to help teach; although you already know some."

"Oh." Violet said as she reluctantly pulled away. "But you have to promise that you'll tell me soon."

"I promise." Quigley said as they left the room.

"Are Duncan and Isadora here?"

"Yes, they are. We were all saved together. They actually went to get Sunny and Klaus. J.C. told sent us to find you."

"Oh, he told you who to find?"

"Well.. Uhh, actually we just decided that we would split up and find each of you. I volunteered to find you since I had a pretty good idea of where you would be."

"And how did you know that?"

Quigley smiled knowingly. " Just a lucky guess."

Violet smiled back at him. It gave her a strange feeling to see him again after so much time and to be so close. She had thought she would never see him again. Her smile widened. She had always been very fond of him.

As they continued walking throughout the endless hallways, they told the stories of how they had come to be here. Quigley told of the daring rescue of him, his family, Fiona, and her family by a group of volunteers. He told of the horrible darkness of the "Great Unknown". He also told how happy he had been when he had heard about the Baudelaires finally surfacing after nearly three years missing. But, as Violet listened, doubt and fear take a prominent place in her thoughts. Did he know about what happened at Hotel Denouement? If he did, what did he think of her and Klaus and Sunny? Did he still trust them? Did he still believe that she was noble? Did _she _still believe that she was noble?

"Violet? Are you okay?"

Violet blinked and shook the thoughts from her mind. "Sorry. I was just thinking about something."

"Oh? What were you thinking about?" Quigley asked with a mischievous grin.

"You. I always think a lot about you." she stated before thinking. She blushed lightly when she realized what she had said.

Quigley's eyes widened a bit, and, a second later, he was blushing as well.

"I think about you a lot too." he replied quietly.

Violet's blush deepened, and she opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off.

"Well, I see you've found her." said the stranger standing a few feet in front of them.

Quigley cleared his throat. "Yes ma'am. I have. It wasn't too hard. I already had a pretty good idea of where she was." he said smiling down at the now very close and very red Violet Baudelaire.

Violet couldn't help but smile back at him as his blue eyes seemed to sparkle when he looked at her.

This exchange did not seem to go unnoticed by the stranger who had interrupted them only a few seconds ago. The woman looked between the two who now seemed to have forgotten she was there. Repeating Quigley's earlier action, she cleared her throat rather loudly. "I don't mean to interrupt, but we have important matters that need attending to." she said a bit bitterly.

Violet and Quigley blinked then turned to look at the woman as if just now realizing she was there.

The woman turned and opened a set of doors. "This way." she instructed as she disappeared.

Violet followed Quigley as he entered the room behind the woman. It was a large room with desks lined neatly in five rows. At the front of the room was a large desks with a chalkboard behind it. It was very clean and books lined the left and right walls. Behind the chalkboard was a window that served as the north wall. Looking through it, Violet could the huge field that she had seen earlier when they had first arrived, but now there were people out on the field. Most seemed to be between the ages of eleven and fourteen. They were lined up into four columns. Two adults, who Violet assumed were teachers, stood facing them. One of the teachers was pacing back and forth in front of the group as if explaining something to them.

"Glad you could join us, Miss Baudelaire."

Violet spun around. There stood the woman who had shown them into the room. Next to her stood a chubby man about medium height with a bushy white beard and graying hair. His eyes were big and a knowing smile played at his lips as he watched her. Next to him, J.C. stood straight, smiling widely at the eldest Baudelaire. Beside him were a pleasant looking woman and a fine looking man who were both smiling politely. Violet glanced over at Quigley who was smiling lightly at the chubby man.

"Thank you for finding her for us, Mr. Quagmire. You may return to class now."

Quigley glanced at Violet then nodded. "Thank you, sir." he said as he left.

Violet watched him go then looked at the party before her, unsure of what to expect.

"I'm so glad to see that you and your family have arrived safely."

"Where are they?" Violet asked after looking for the answer ever since she had seen the strange woman.

"They are settling into their rooms. We have already had our talk with them. We decided that we would speak with you separately since you are the oldest and we consider you as guardian." He tilted his head slightly and looked her up an down. "We have heard of your situation this past year from J.C., and it seems that you have done a fine job, especially considering your past circumstances."

Violet watched the man's shoes as he spoke, unable to look him in the eye. She wasn't sure what they thought about her "past circumstance". but what bothered her the most was the fact that they considered her as the guardians of the Baudelaires. She had taken on the role of guardian a long time ago , but she had never thought of herself as the actually guardian but more as it was just part of her being the oldest; it was her responsibility, her promise. It also may have ha something to do with the fact tat every guardian they'd ever had had failed them in some way or another… even their parents. And Violet didn't like those odds.

So many questions crowded through her mind that she didn't know which one to ask first. That seemed to be happening to her a lot lately. "Why are we here?"

"To learn, of course. That is.. If you choose to stay."

Violet looked out the window at the kids now doing some sort of exercise. She ran it through her mind, going over the advantages and disadvantages. This place seemed to be safe. The school would take care of them, no more money problems. Violet would no longer have to worry about having enough money for food or clothing. They'd receive the education they needed and not just the lessons Violet would give them every other night that Klaus had learned long ago. And here, they'd have ample space and tools to practice their favorite hobbies and possibly pick up some new ones. They'd have Quigley, Duncan, and Isadora, and maybe even Fiona, although Violet wasn't sure how Klaus (or even herself for that matter) would feel about that. Quigley seemed to like it here.

Violet nodded to herself. The pros outweighed the cons. Besides, they were already unpacked. "What needs to be done?"

The man smiled widely and turned to J.C. he whispered something to him and J.C. nodded and left. Then he turned back to Violet. "Would you mind coming with me to my office?"

"Not at all."

"Then follow me." And with that, he turned and left the room with Violet in tow.

"Oh, forgive my rudeness. I haven't even introduced myself yet. My name is Mr. McClain." the man said turning to shake Violet's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McClain." Violet replied as they began walking again.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Baudelaire. You will meet the staff and other volunteers later. Right now, we just have a few things to get settled. Ah, here we are." he said as they turned a corner and opened a door that had "Headmaster" engraved on a brass plate on the front. "Hello, Mrs. Lansley." he addressed a small, skinny woman sitting behind a secretarial desk outside what Violet took to be Mr. McClain's office. She didn't look up but rather mumbled a brief hello and continued working.

"Mrs. Lansley, I would like you to met our newest student, Miss Violet Baudelaire."

When Mrs. Lansley heard Violet's name, her head shot up and her eyes fixed on Violet with her mouth hanging slightly open. Her expression was one of disbelief and she seemed to be having trouble breathing.

"Violet Baudelaire?" she repeated in a high, squeaky voice.

Mr. McClain cleared his throat. "Yes. She and her siblings will be attending school here."

Mrs. Lansley shook her head then smiled at Violet as she stood up to shake the eldest Baudelaire's hand. "It's an honor."

Violet blinked, taken aback by her choice of wording, then smiled back at the woman. "Thank you."

Violet followed Mr. McClain into his office. There were so many things she tried to understand. She tried to answer all the questions she still had running wild in her head, giving her a headache. She was worried about Klaus, Sunny, and Beatrice. Did they know where she was and that she hadn't just walked off into her own little world and forgotten them? Were they okay?

Violet rubbed her temples and squeezed her eyes shut. But when she opened them, she forgot about her headache. The questions and worries that had been running wild just a few seconds ago froze in place. For there, on the corner of Mr. McClain's desk was a picture that she had never seen before but was familiar. It wasn't the picture that Violet found so familiar, but rather the people in the picture. It was a picture of two people who seemed to be laughing. It looked as if the woman had slipped and the man had caught her. The woman was now slumped in the man's arms with her head thrown back, laughing. The couple seemed so happy and young. It seemed as if nothing could touch them; nothing could harm them. But Violet knew differently, for the two young people smiling and laughing at each other…. were her parents.

"Ah, yes. That picture was taken a long time ago when your parents were just friends."

Violet blinked several times as she was pulled back into reality. "How'd you know them?" she asked quietly.

"We went to school together. Actually, it was this very school that we attended."

Violet turned to face the man who sighed as a look of sadness washed over him. "Those were good times."

After a few seconds of silence, he sighed again and asked, " So shall we get on with it?"

/

Violet walked back to her room later that night, every once in a while glancing down at the map she knew Quigley had made. She had spent all afternoon with Mr. McClain going over the necessary paperwork. They had finished only an hour ago and he had insisted on her having dinner with him. Now, she planned to make it back to her room and crawl into bed. But, of course, she couldn't do that. As soon as she had stepped through her doorway, Klaus and Sunny were there pelting her with questions and details about their day. She sighed and answered what she could and listened to their stories of their day. They had gotten Beatrice to sleep just a little while ago. Finally after half an hour, Violet finally got Klaus and Sunny to go back their own rooms and go to sleep. She glanced towards her new nightstand and noticed an alarm clock. She smiled. 'They must not want me to be late.' After setting the clock for early the next morning, she rolled over on her side and closed her eyes. She fell asleep to the no longer familiar anticipation of the first day at a new school.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: sorry about it taking so long. Been really busy. Hope you enjoy! And to anyone who wishes to know where my genius came from while writing this chapter… I ate pretzels the whole time I was typing it up. :) Don't forget to review.

Violet slid into her seat in the middle of the classroom. The room was already halfway full and more students with books in their arms were still arriving, laughing and joking with their friends and classmates. Violet had chosen that particular seat so as not to be noticed. She slumped further down in her chair as the seats around her began to lose their emptiness. She clutched her brand new notebook and pencil to her chest and closed her eyes. She hated this, not knowing anyone around her. Suddenly, images of the time at Prufrock Prep flashed behind her closed eyelids. She frowned. At least, she could have had a class with Klaus. But, like her, he had been sent to different classes that Mr. McCain had fervently claimed that they needed since they had missed so much. That's what missing four years of school will do to you. They were lucky they were only making them make up certain classes and not whole grades.

Violet opened her eyes in time to see her new teacher close the door as she entered the classroom. She seemed to be in her mid thirties with short black hair and soft green eyes. She was tall with a body that most girls would kill for. The eyes of all the teenage boys in the room seemed glued to her frame. She walked over to her desk and sat down. She picked up on of the many sheets of paper that lay on her desk and began reading off names.

"Jenny Abel."

"Here." the girl in front of Violet replied.

"Lionel Adan."

"Here." stated a boy in the back of the room.

"Joey Arnet."

"Here." this one came from the first seat in the last row.

"Linsey Bancroft."

"Here" came the bored reply from the middle row.

"Violet-" the woman blinked her eyes rapidly the stared at the list. Suddenly, a smile broke across her once straight face, displaying her white teeth. She looked up, her bright eyes scanning the room.

Violet sunk so low in her chair she feared she'd slip right off and onto the floor right under her desk. But, nonetheless, the woman's eyes landed on her; and her smile grew.

"Well, it seems that we have a new student."

Instantly, everyone's heads turned, looking for a face they hadn't seen before. The ones sitting closest to Violet picked her out almost immediately, and the boys seemed to drool while most of the girls looked as if they would burst from the joy of a possible new gossip girl; but other girls, who must have noticed the boys reaction, glared daggers at her.

Violet swallowed. 'Oh boy.' she groaned to herself.

"Why don't you introduce yourself?" the woman said leaning against her desk and motioning for Violet to stand up. All of a sudden, Violet felt like she was four again as the butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She slowly stood up and kept her eyes on the woman at the front of the room. Violet opened her mouth, but her tongue seemed to be sleeping.

"Umm… I…uhh… I'm…. well.." Violet stuttered. She silently scolded herself. This was ridiculous. They were just people. She took a deep breath.

"You know, you usually say your name when you're introducing yourself." Violet turned her head as she ignored the snickering of some of the other kids and looked at the smirking blond sitting a couple of seats away. Violet frowned at the girl.

"Linsey!" Violet's attention was drawn back to the front of the room. "Maybe we should introduce ourselves first. I'm Miss Jefferson." The woman then looked to the first student sitting closest to the door. He quickly stood up. He was a tall skinny boy with black hair and glasses.

"Simon Loyle." he stated smiling at Violet.

He sat down and almost immediately the girl behind him stood up.

"Emily Riker."

And so on it went until they got to Linsey. She stood up slowly, looking Violet up and down as if sizing her up.

"Linsey Bancroft." she said sticking her nose slightly skyward before sitting back down as if she were a queen.

After her, things went okay. The last girl, Amy Vickings, smiled largely at Violet.

"Well, now that we've all been introduced, I do believe it to be your turn." Miss Jefferson said turning back to Violet.

"Maybe she'll be able to get it out this time." Linsey muttered and the class erupted into giggling. Amy shot a glare at Linsey as she smiled smugly. Miss Jefferson didn't seem very happy with her either.

"I believe that's enough from you. Miss Bancroft." she said frowning at the girl.

Linsey's mouth grew into a tight line as she mumbled a barely audible "yes, ma'am."

Before anyone else could make another unnecessary comment, Violet spoke.

"Violet Baudelaire." she said simply. The room suddenly grew very quiet. Violet became nervous and began shifting from foot to foot. Suddenly, Linsey started laughing. She grabbed her stomach and, with the other hand, pointed at Violet.

"You're… Violet.. Baudelaire?" she asked incredulously in between laughs. "_The_… Violet Baudelaire?" At this, she began to laugh even harder and looked as if she would faint.

Violet felt her anger rise in her chest. This girl was _mocking_ her! Violet felt her cheeks burn, and she clenched her teeth. Uh-uh. Not going to happen.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I **am** Violet Baudelaire and I don't find it the least bit funny so I don't see why you're laughing, _Linsey_." Violet said through her teeth.

The girl's laughter abruptly stopped and she stared at Violet, who was now glaring at her. She cleared her throat and looked away from Violet's intense gaze.

"Sorry." she mumbled. Again, the class stared at Violet as if she had done something miraculous. Violet, not caring for all the attention, sat down. When she looked at Miss Jefferson, she noticed the woman's head was tilted slightly, and she wore a smile as if she knew something Violet didn't.

"Well, since we're all acquainted, why don't we turn to page 165? Here is your book Violet." she said handing Violet a thick math book. Violet opened it to the correct page and buried herself into the book.

The rest of the day went by without any other incident. She met her history teacher, Mr. Sherwood; her science teacher, Roger Fulton; and her DSC (Disguise and Secret Coding) teacher, Mrs. Ferris. Then came lunch.

/

Violet sat down at an empty table near a window and stared at her food. Well, it looked good. She picked up her fork and slowly took a bite.

"The food here is actually pretty good. And it's usually good for you too."

Violet looked up from her food to see who had offered their opinion.

"Isadora!" Violet exclaimed leaping up so fast she nearly knocked over her tray.

Isadora grinned and pulled Violet into a tight hug.

"We've missed you so much, Violet." Isadora practically squealed.

"Isadora… can't… breathe…. Need… air." Violet choked.

"Oops. Sorry. I'm just a little excited to see you." Isadora apologized letting go of Violet.

"I'm happy to see you too." Violet replied smiling at her friend.

"Where are Klaus and Sunny?" Isadora's eyebrows knitted together as she looked around the rather large lunchroom.

"I don't think Sunny's class has lunch with the upper classes. As for Klaus, I have no idea where he is." Violet craned her neck to look for Klaus.

"There he is. Over there by Duncan." Violet smiled and pointed out her friend and her brother.

Isadora looked at her. "How'd you know that is Duncan and not Quigley?"

Violet stopped. She had a vague idea, but she decided not to share it with Isadora. "I don't know, I just do." she said shrugging.

Before Isadora could say anything in response, Duncan had his arms wrapped around Violet and was spinning her. Klaus was not far behind hugging Isadora although a little less vigorously than Duncan was currently hugging Violet. When Violet's feet once again touched the floor, Duncan began pelting her with questions.

"How've you been? Where have you been? How'd you get here? When did you get here? Have you-" Isadora put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Wooh there, cowboy. Why don't we sit down and eat and then you can ask questions." Duncan grinned and nodded.

"Where's Quigley?" Violet asked looking at the long line of people waiting to choose their food.

"Right here. Had trouble finding you in the crowd."

Violet turned to see Quigley striding toward them with a tray in his hands.

"Hello there, Quigley. It's nice to see you again. Sleep well?"

Quigley smiled. "Very well, actually. It was nice to have nothing to worry about for once.

Violet was just about to ask him what he worried about when Duncan interrupted.

"What are you two talking about? This is the first time we've seen Violet in forever."

"Actually, I saw Violet when she arrived yesterday."

"You did? And you didn't tell us?" Isadora punched Quigley's arm.

"Sorry. Long day, I guess." Quigley said rubbing his arm.

They sat down to eat. The Quagmires sat across from the Baudelaires, and both sides told their stories and answered the questions asked by each other. Violet found out that her next class was with Duncan while Klaus had his with Isadora and Quigley. Violet's last class was with Isadora since the boys were separated from the guys during P.E. Violet thought about the morning she'd had and presented another question.

"Who is Linsey Bancroft?"

"Linsey? Oh, she is just the most snobbish person in the entire school. She thinks she's perfect since her father is a leader of V.F.D." Isadora spat. "I've never really liked her and probably never will."

Violet looked down at her tray and muttered, "Yeah, I got that impression this morning too. But maybe she won't be so bad. Maybe she'll just get used to us."

Isadora shrugged. "Probably not, but you can give her a chance if you like. If anyone can take her, it's the Baudelaires."

Violet's head shot up. "Okay. What is all that about?"

The Quagmires' eyebrows shot up in confusion. "What?" they asked in unison.

"Everyone seems… I don't know.. awed by me. When I introduced myself in class today, it got quiet and everyone stared at me like I had just appeared from thin air and told them all I was a fairy princess."

Klaus nodded. "Same thing with me. I stated my name and you'd think I had just risen from the dead."

"Well, you're kind of famous around here. No, I should say, especially around here. You're famous all throughout the V.F.D. Everybody knows your names and what you've done." Quigley interjected leaning back in his chair.

Violet would have smacked her head on the table if her tray hadn't been in the way, although she was still considering it.

Klaus groaned and rubbed his eyes under his glasses. "Well, that's fabulous."

Duncan laughed. "Are you kidding? You Baudelaires are like heroes. Everyone thinks you're awesome. Even Linsey has said that she thinks you're cool. And she's _never_ said that about anyone…. Well, except herself, of course."

Violet looked at Klaus and could tell he was thinking the same thing. "We really don't want to be noticed. Attention isn't really our thing."

"Well, there's no helping it now. What's done is done. The Baudelaires and the Snickets have always been big in the V.F.D."

"Violet?" Isadora spoke suddenly.

"Yes?"

"Who's that little girl that arrived with you? I've been hearing rumors abut her."

"Oh, that's Beatrice. Beatrice Baudelaire."

Duncan and Quigley looked at each other then back at Violet. Isadora just stared at Violet waiting for further information.

"She's Kit's Snicket's daughter. We adopted her when Kit…" for some reason, the last word just wouldn't come out.

"Oh." the triplets replied as comprehension appeared on their faces.

Suddenly, the table was quiet. They each finished their lunch then said good-bye when they split up to make their way to they classes. Before they parted, Quigley slipped something into Violet's hand.

A/N: Chapter 7 and 8 are split into two chapters because they'd be too long together. It took me forever to finish this and I wanted to get it posted as soon as possible so I went ahead and separated them. Also, if anyone has any ideas that they would like me to write about, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Chapter 8 will be up soon just not as long as this one.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: so here's chapter 8. I was in kind of a romantic type of mood when I wrote this. And no, I didn't eat pretzels this time.. I ate them all for chapter 7. But it'll have to do. Enjoy and don't be afraid to review. (Oh and I bet you can't guess what LSLM stands for. Any questions let me know.)

Violet walked beside Duncan to their next class. He explained to her what they had been doing in the said class as they walked down the hall. Thankfully, Violet felt, he also sat next to her. The teacher entered and presented her with a book then headed straight for the board at the front of the room. She noticed that this was the same classroom that she had seen yesterday upon her arrival. The teacher was also the nice looking man that had been standing behind Mr. McClain.

When the man, Mr. Sikes as he introduced himself, turned and began his lecture on the cultures of the world, Violet opened the note Quigley had given her.

"Meet me at the back of the field near the woods during P.E., behind the lumber marked LSLM. I have something I want to show you."

Violet smiled. Only her first day and already Quigley had her sneaking away and breaking rules. But she knew she would go despite the rules. She already expected that she would inevitably be getting into trouble while staying here no matter how hard she'd try to avoid it. Trouble seemed to follow her and her siblings. Quigley probably wouldn't be far behind.

Feeling as if she was being watched, Violet looked up to find Duncan staring at her. He blushed a little and motioned toward the note resting in Violet's hands. Violet smiled at him but shook her head folding up the note. Duncan made a pouting face and Violet put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Duncan beamed.

That hour took what seemed like an eternity for Violet. It dragged along until she couldn't take it much longer. A few seconds before her breaking point, the bell sounded.

Violet bolted out of the classroom and headed to change for P.E. leaving a bewildered Duncan in her wake. She couldn't wait to see what Quigley had to show her. Or was it Quigley that she couldn't wait to see?

She shook the thought from her head and followed the rest of the girls onto the field.

/

She met her instructor and followed the other girls in their regular exercises. When they began their laps around the field, Violet slipped away and headed for the huge pile of lumber near a corner of the field. Violet wasn't really one for running anyway not since Coach Genghis (one of Olaf's awful disguises). She walked around to the trees then sat down and waited.

"Hey! You showed up! I thought you might be to scared of getting caught."

Violet smiled up at Quigley. "Who me? Pfft. Yeah, right."

Quigley laughed. "Well, then, follow me, Little Miss Rebel."

Violet chuckled and stood up. She followed Quigley into the woods. While they walked, they talked about everything they could think of. They both told stories about the past couple of years and what it was like for them when they were little. Quigley wanted to know about the inventions Violet had made over the years. He seemed absolutely amazed that she could create such complicated things without any help. She laughed when his eyes grew wide when she described one of her most recent inventions. She stated that his cartographical skills were pretty impressive as well. He smiled shyly and shrugged. "I guess so." was his reply. They talked for a little while more before Quigley stopped and looked around.

"This is it. This is what I wanted to show you." he said nodding his head as if agreeing with himself.

"This?" Violet looked around. "No offense, Quigley, but we're in the middle of the woods."

Quigley smiled and shook his head. "No, look down." he explained as he reached down through the leaves.

Violet watched in wonder as he lifted up a metal door and let it fall carefully to the ground so as not to make too much noise. He climbed down into the hole and gestured for Violet to follow him. Violet silently climbed in after him. Halfway down, Violet turned to ask him when he had found the tunnel; but her foot slipped on the metal hooks, and she was sent spiraling to the floor. She closed her eyes and pulled her arms to her chest and waited for the impact on the hard floor. But it didn't come. After a few seconds of waiting, she opened her eyes and found herself staring into Quigley's deep blue eyes.

"Are you okay?" concern was evident in his voice.

"Y-Yeah, I think.. So." 'Stand up!' her mind commanded her legs. They didn't seem to want to listen.

Quigley smiled. Although he wouldn't tell her, Quigley was enjoying holding Violet in his arms like this. He wanted to pull her closer and just sit and hold her to him. He now understood the saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Disappointment flooded through him when she finally convinced her legs to cooperate and his body protested the sudden lack of warmth. She had been so close! If he had just moved his face just a little lower-

"How far does it go?"

Quigley shook his head to clear his mind of its thoughts and turned to look down the tunnel. His skin still tingled where she'd touched.

"All the way to the school. It branches off into four different tunnels. One leads to under the gym, one to the main office, another to the auditorium, and the last to the offices opposite then main office. I've made a few maps. You can have one if you'd like."

Violet looked at him with a teasing smile and a raised eyebrow as he handed her a map.

"What?" he said defensively. "Things can get kind of boring here."

Violet shook her head, the smile still there. "We had better get back. P.E. should be about over according to my schedule. And I wouldn't want to get in trouble on the first day."

Quigley mimicked Violet's teasing smile. "Who? You? Not Violet Baudelaire!" he exclaimed as they climbed out the tunnel's entrance. He brought his hand to his mouth dramatically and fanned himself with the other. "I think I'm going to faint."

Violet playfully pushed him and giggled. "By the way, how'd you remember the way to the tunnel? There's no path."

"I made markers along the way that no one would notice unless they knew they were there. They're on the map." Quigley pointed out each marker as they passed it.

When they finally made it back to the lumber pile, Violet grabbed Quigley's arm gently. "Why did you show me this?"

Quigley shrugged smiling at her. "Just so you would know."

"Why haven't you shown the others?"

Quigley stopped. He had thought about that very same question many times. "Because our parents never showed us many of their secrets that they had found to protect us in a way, I believe. If they ever need to know, I or you can show them."

Violet nodded. She knew exactly how Quigley felt.

Quigley smiled at Violet once more then took her hand. He bent over it and said, "I had a marvelous time, Mi' Lady. I hope to see you soon." and with that he lightly kissed the hand he was holding and departed with a slight smile forming on his face. Violet, with a similar smile, also headed for her group which was just now making their way inside.

/

Later that night, Quigley made his way back to his room (which he had carefully marked on the Baudelaires' maps along with his brother's and sister's rooms) with the image of him catching Violet when she fell nagging at him. He couldn't think of her all the time! That could, in some places, be seen as very rude or very creepy or perhaps both. Besides, he knew he wasn't they only guy bidding for her attention. 'But you're the only one that feels the way you do about her.' his inner self reminded him. He groaned. 'Really? I'm only sixteen… what do I know of love?' His inner self seemed to smile in victory. 'I never said anything of love.'

Quigley shook his head. Although he wanted to be angry with himself, he just couldn't seem to argue with himself on this particular subject. He knew he cared very strongly for Violet. Always had. The time spent away from her just made it worse. When he'd first arrived at the Academy about a year ago, he had been anxious to find out the whereabouts of the Baudelaires. He was told that they had not been found yet, and that was all that he was told. After that, his worries had begun to grow worse. He began to lose focus in the middle of class and would often be called upon to answer a question he hadn't even heard. Then came the nightmares. His dreams of what might have happened to them or what could have _been_ happening to them were so vivid and horrible. But most of his dreams centered around one specific Baudelaire.

He passed it off as the feelings he still had for Violet after meeting her in the mountains. (He smiled as he remembered their rest they had taken on the ledge.) But as time went on, the nightmares only got worse and soon they only featured her. Sometimes his dreams were the same, sometimes they were different. But they all had the same ending: she would leave, one way of another, and he'd be left standing there without her. He would wake up in the middle of the night with this horrible pain in his chest that felt as if his heart had been ripped out. He did his best not to cry out when he woke because he knew his siblings would hear if he screamed to loud. But there were some nights when he couldn't stop himself; when the dreams were especially horrifying. The next morning his sister would stare at him with this strange expression and his brother would avoid his eyes. They had stopped asking about the dreams long ago.

But since he had heard the news that J.C. had found the Baudelaires and was instructed to "invite" them to come to the Academy, his nightmares had lessened a great deal. Only when he finally laid eyes on Violet did his nightmares and stress disappear.

And when she had ran so willingly into his arms…. He smiled stopping at his door. Oh, he wished he could pull her close and never let go; that she wouldn't want him to let her go.

His smile grew as he thought of how he had so easily kissed her hand earlier that afternoon. His heart had nearly stopped when she had given him her breath-taking smile that seemed to make everything better.

'Oh, no. it's not love.' his inner self remarked sarcastically.

Quigley laughed out loud then quickly covered his mouth. He was crazy, but he didn't really care.

When he finally opened his door, he noticed that a small slip of paper had been slid under his door.

"Thank you for a wonderful afternoon, a secret tunnel, and a spectacular goodbye. I sincerely hope we can do it again sometime soon. Ever Hopeful, V.B."

The cartographer of sixteen who knew nothing of love smiled as his heart fluttered, and he crawled into bed hoping the same thing as Violet Baudelaire.

A/N: I know it's a little bit different than normally, but oh well. Like I said, I was kinda in a romantic mood here. The last part about Quigley was totally last minute. If you like the way it turned out, let me know. If you don't…. well, I guess you can let me know too. :)


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I'm really sorry about this one taking so long. I've been really busy this month and things are just starting to settle down a little. Plus, I had a little trouble figuring out what I wanted to put in this chapter so here it is. Enjoy… I don't own anything, although sometimes I wish I did.

The next few weeks passed uneventful for Violet. She had caught up with her classes and usually had very little homework so she was able to spend most of her time after school with her family. Sunny would always be so excited to tell Violet what she had learned that day. She had told Klaus that it was so much better than being a secretary. Klaus, Violet had learned, had some classes with Fiona. When she had finally gotten him alone, she had cried and apologized over and over again until Klaus finally convinced her that she was forgiven. Klaus had decided to remain friends , but he could tell that Fiona still doubted his forgiveness at times. For this reason, he had invited her to eat lunch with them and the Quagmires tomorrow.

"You don't mind, do you? I don't want to do anything that you wouldn't be happy with."

Violet smiled trying to hold back her laughter. Why was he asking her? She never before told him he couldn't do anything. She had never had to for that matter. She wasn't his… She stopped when she remembered. Klaus had used to say the same thing to their mother.

"Of course I don't mind." she said gently giving him a small smile.

Klaus smiled. "I was just making sure."

And with that, he was off. Violet made sure that Sunny and Beatrice were fine and playing in their room before heading out the door and towards the Quagmires' rooms.

She hadn't had the chance to talk to Quigley alone since her first day (she lightly blushed when she thought of it). They had seen each other at lunch and occasionally in the hall, but they hadn't gotten the chance to really talk.. Alone.. Just the two of them.

She enjoyed talking with him immensely, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out why she loved being near him so _much_. Her heart faltered every time he brushed against her and butterflies would suddenly appear in her stomach when he would simply glance her way. She had had crushes before, but things like that never happened with them. And she just couldn't get over how tall he had gotten… or his well chiseled chest that she had been pressed against just a few weeks ago, held there by his surprisingly muscular arms to keep her from falling (He wasn't huge, but he was nowhere near small.. He must have grown a lot while they were apart.) Oh, and his intoxicating blue eyes that had been staring back into her dark brown ones. She couldn't forget his tempting pink lips that had been so close-

Violet stopped in her tracks. This was **not** like her. She had **never** thought that way about **any **boy. She had thought her crushes had a certain boyish cuteness, but the way she had just been describing Quigley to herself was **not** boyish. She shook her head to rid it of her rather scandalous thoughts. After all, it was just a crush. She just liked him a little more than the others she'd had.

Her conscience giggled. "Is that what you think? You really are a rather silly girl, you know. There's really no point in lying to yourself. I mean, you already know."

Violet frowned and crossed her arms as she continued walking. 'I don't know what you're talking about. And I'm not silly. I'm just a little… distracted is all.'

Violet heard her conscience chuckle. "Yes, you are. Very much so. You're distracted by a certain Quagmire's wavy brown hair, his aforementioned drop-dead-gorgeous eyes, his delightful personality. And, also, his intelligence, his gentleness, his wonderful attitude, his soft spoken words, and his _smile_; oh, we can't forget his smile, now can we. I know that one leaves you breathless all the time. If only we could get close enough to that breathtaking smile, we could-"

"Stop!" Violet said somewhat forcefully out loud then covered her mouth looking around to see if anyone had heard her.

'That's quite enough." she scolded herself noiselessly this time. 'You must stop thinking things like that. It's not very ladylike to think such things about a man.'

Her conscience scoffed. "You do realize I'm you, right?"

Violet rubbed her temples and turned to go back to her room. She suddenly felt like this had been a bad idea.

"Violet?"

She froze.

"Violet, are you okay?"

Violet closed her eyes as her heart picked up its pace. 'Oh, come on, cut me a break.' Her conscience snickered. 'No more out of you.' Still, her inner self did not comply.

"Violet? You there?"

A hand gently wrapped around Violet's arm and turned her to face her concerned friend.

Violet looked up into Quigley's slightly worried face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm fine. I wasn't paying attention."

Quigley smiled and Violet's heart nearly stopped. When had Quigley become so powerful over her? Sure, she had thought about him a lot before and she had definitely liked to see him smile. But this was different. She couldn't quite put her finger on it though. Her stomach did flip-flops every time he touched her in the simplest way; her heart stopped when he smiled for her; and, when he laughed, her heart sped up as if she had run a marathon. This was not normal.

Violet sighed inwardly. She had to get over this crush.

Her inner Violet picked this time to speak up again. "Are you still on the crush thing? I thought we already covered this." Before Violet could reply, her conscience spoke up again. "He's talking to you.. And you're missing it."

"-and I was just making sure you were ok."

Violet shook her head and smiled. "No, I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind with school and all."

Quigley nodded. " I know what you mean. Our first month here was pretty confusing, but after we got settled in, things got better."

Violet nodded noticing that Quigley hadn't let go of her arm yet. Not that she really minded.

Quigley stepped closer. "I'm glad I caught you. I was actually on my way to ask you something."

He now had her undivided attention. "What is it?" she asked trying to hide her curiosity.

"Well, I was wondering if you would like to-"

Suddenly, a gasp came from the end of the hall.

"No, it can't be! Violet Baudelaire! No, it's impossible. You escaped with Count Olaf. I watched you. You… you and your siblings… the boat… over the side.. parachute…"

When the babblings stopped, Violet turned to see who had rambled on. When she saw who it was, fear and relief replaced her confusion. She was happy to see that this person was ok, but would she cause her and her siblings trouble?

"Justice Strauss!"

A/N: I split this chapter and the next one because of three reasons: 1) the next chapter is kinda long. It's longer than this one. 2) I wanted to post something up for all my readers since they've waited so long. 3) I'm too lazy to type the next one today too.. I just spent 2 and a half hours on this one (not the fastest typist and I had to edit some of what I wrote.) And I have an essay for school I have to get started on… I've had a long few weeks so please cut me some slack.. Be gentle. :)


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: One of the main parts in the last chapter was Violet's inner struggle, I guess, over how she felt about Quigley. That's what was going on with all the arguing with her "conscience" was about. I don't know if everybody got that so I was just explaining. I figured some of you might like to know what's going on inside their heads. And remember, they're only human. This chapter kinda goes into the way Quigley feels about Violet. Plus, some extra plot twists. So here it goes.

The woman, who was surprisingly without her robe, slowly approached Violet. Violet unconsciously moved closer to Quigley. Their sides were almost touching, but Quigley never let go of her arm; he slid his hand down to gently grab her wrist so he could pull her behind him if necessary. He wasn't sure who this woman was, but she was not about to come near Violet.

Justice Strauss was too focused on Violet to notice any of this. She wore a disbelieving look as she searched Violet's own face for any proof that it was a disguise. When she had moved closer yet had found no such proof, she turned her head slightly keeping her eyes on Violet.

"Jerome. Jerome, come here. You won't believe this."

"What is it? What have you… found?" Jerome Squalor asked as he came around the same corner that Justice Strauss had just seconds before appeared from.

Now, Violet was by no means afraid of these two. She had been up against much worse and much more menacing. But she was afraid that they would protest her and her siblings being here (she didn't know what they would say about poor little Beatrice.) So she stood there staring at the two with no expression.

Quigley, noticing her discomfort, moved closer but stopped himself from wrapping his arm around her for comfort. He didn't know how she would react and now was not the time to find out. He looked at the two strangers and waited to see if he would be needed to defend Violet or not.

Violet had felt when Quigley had moved closer. Quigley was slightly behind Violet; and she felt his arm lightly bump her shoulder blade, making goose bumps appear on her arms. She frowned slightly when he raised his arm a bit then quickly lowered it as if changing his mind. A part of her had so wanted him to wrap his arm around her; but his hand still held her wrist, and she was happy with that. She had almost forgotten about the people in front of her. Almost.

"Well, I don't believe it! Violet! You have grown since the last time we saw you. I bet your brother and sister have as well. Are they here with you?"

Violet wasn't sure if he meant here at the Academy or here just down the hall.

"They're in their rooms a few halls over." she replied answering both possibilities.

"What is keeping you two? We must hurry or we will be late for the meeting. And being late is never good, you know." Mr. McClain said as he also appeared from around the corner followed by a stern looking woman, the same stern looking woman whom Violet and Quigley had followed into the classroom where she had met Mr. McClain.

"Why, hello there, Violet. You're looking refreshed. I trust these past few weeks have been good." Mr. McClain said cheerfully.

Violet smiled a small smile and nodded. "They have."

A confused look came across his face. "I say, what are you doing here? This is hallway I2. Isn't your room in hallway J4?" he asked.

At this, Violet shifted her eyes, and the back of her neck became warm. "Well, you see.. I.. uhh.. I just-"

"Isn't it obvious?" the stern looking woman interjected. She then looked back to Violet and Quigley. "Are you two always that close together?"

Immediately, Quigley let go of Violet's wrist and took a step back trying to keep his face from becoming cherry.

Violet's ears began to grow hot, but she pushed it down. "I just had a question about one of these maps that I thought Quigley could answer."

"Mhmh. And that's why he was holding on to you for dear life."

"Well, if two complete strangers approached you and your friend exclaiming said friend's name while babbling on about Count Olaf and such, wouldn't you act defensively?"

The woman frowned but said nothing. Violet turned to Mr. McClain who wore a strange look and a weird smile. "We were just heading to a meeting. Would you two like to join us?"

Violet and Quigley looked at each other then back to Mr. McClain. Nodding, Quigley answered, "We'd love to."

Mr. McClain's face brightened. "Very well. Come along. Oh, and this is Ms. Foster." he said pointing to the woman who was still frowning at Violet.

"It's nice to meet you." Violet said politely.

"Hello." Quigley said shortly. He didn't like the way she was looking at Violet.

"Hello." Ms. Foster replied, nodding to them as they followed Mr. McClain down the hall.

Immediately after they entered the meeting room, Violet and Quigley sat in the back. Violet looked around the room for any more familiar faces. Near the left wall, Hal stood talking with Charles and two other people Violet didn't know. Captain Widdershins sat in a chair facing a woman in her early forties. Hector sat at the table looking over a stack of papers. And, there, in the corner of the room, stood a man who's face was hidden by his hat. For some reason, he seemed familiar; but Violet couldn't quite place him. J.C. stood next to him, leaning against the wall. She considered waving at him, but feared she'd draw a lot of attention to herself. And, again, she wasn't one for attention. She had no idea how she was going to pass theater.

Standing around the middle of the room were Violet's teachers and other people who she guessed to be the teachers she had not yet met. Scattered about the rest of the room were strangers. All together, there seemed to be between 150 and 200.

Suddenly, Frank (yes, she was sure it was Frank!) approached the front of the room and turned to face everyone. "Excuse me. May I have everyone's attention?" He waited until all was quiet before continuing. "Alright. I now call to order the meeting of the Representatives of the V.F.D. Well, the representatives who could make it today. Our numbers have grown greatly in the last couple of years. We now have four safe places where volunteers can gather, and we are currently working on the fifth. Now, I will hand the meeting over to our honorable host, Mr. Roger McClain."

"Thank you, Frank. I am honored to be this years host. As you all know, I am head of this Academy. And I would just like to present a brief report on our school. We have a record of two thousand students. We have three hundred on staff not including those that volunteer. All our students are taught the necessities for volunteering, whether they know it or not. There are very few students who are struggling and they are given the attention needed to pass if not more. Recently, we've had a steady flow of students joining us, many of whom are very talented and expected to do great things for this organization." Violet could have sworn she saw him glance her and Quigley's way. "You may take that bit of news as bad or good or whatever else you believe it is. Now, on to the construction of the next safe house. I believe that we should avoid anything flammable. One of our best choices would be to build it out of some sort of metal, like this entire building is. We could always…"

As Mr. McClain continued to ramble on, Violet focused her attention on the man across the room. His face was still hidden even though everyone was focused on Mr. McClain. Well, almost everyone. J.C. had moved away from him and had seated himself at the table.

Quigley caught her staring and looked about to find what had so thoroughly caught her attention. When his gaze fell on the man in the corner of the room, he immediately knew he was the one who had captured her attention. He could tell Violet was frustrated, but he wasn't sure why.

He looked at her and bumped her with his elbow. When she turned to him, he quietly asked her if she was okay. She nodded her reply then turned her attention back to Mr. McCain, but he knew she wasn't listening.

Violet watched Mr. McClain but heard nothing of what he said. She couldn't quite put her finger on why; but she knew, somehow, that that man hidden by his hat was important.

/

Quigley walked back to his room dejectedly. He hadn't gotten to talk to Violet much; although, he had sat by her most of the evening, and he had also learned more about V.F.D. He now knew how the meetings were held and some of the volunteers who attended them. He had also learned how the V.F.D. had be prospering, so to speak. He had also learned a few other secrets; these and the other information that he had learned, he filed away in his memory for future use.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lift his own spirits. He hadn't gotten to ask her the question he had been wanting to ask her for the last couple of days. He frowned when he remembered just how close he had been. He wasn't even sure how she would answer. He wasn't even sure how Violet felt about him. He felt he had a pretty good guess, but he would rather not leave it up to chance. Most of his thoughts nowadays centered around the dark haired beauty. And he had thought things were bad before. Now, not only did he think about how wonderful she always was, he also thought about how wonderful she always looked. She was always present in his thoughts even if he had been distracted by a map or his brother or sister or what not. She was always there in some way or another. Her deep eyes filled with a wisdom that many adults did not have; her hair, tied back in a ribbon or not, was always so glorious even when she hadn't even tried to fix it; her soft and somewhat small hands that worked so expertly on her most recent inventions; how her face scrunched cutely when she was concentrating; and how her jaw would clench and her mouth would twitch when she was angry (this, he was quite sure, he alone noticed). Oh and her luscious pink lips that stretched so elegantly when she smiled revealing her perfect white teeth. If he could only have one kiss… well, then he'd probably just want another one. It was like her laugh; once he had heard it the first time, he knew he had to hear it again. He could see her eyes closing as he leaned in closer and-

Thump.

"Ow." Quigley said rubbing his face. He had walked straight into his door. Maybe he was daydreaming a little too much.

'That's what you get for thinking those kinds of things.' he scolded himself as he opened the door and looked down the hall.

Why did she do this to him? Why didn't he just forget about her and focus on school or something? Why couldn't he just leave things be and move on? He didn't even know if she cared about him even the slightest bit in that way. Why couldn't he just go on without her and be done with all of this?

He chuckled to himself as he disappeared into his room. He knew why he couldn't do any of those things. Because he didn't want to.

A/N: Ok, so here it is as promised. I've been sick for the past few days so please excuse any mistakes you might find.

And Yume74, I hope I am forgiven for making you wait so long for the last chapter now that I have fulfilled your request. I worked on this all week, doing a little bit at a time when I had free time just to have it up before next week. I hope you are pleased with how this chapter turned out.

Thanks to all my readers and reviewers.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: sorry this one took so long. I had a bit of writer's block. And I already know Yume74. You don't have to tell me. I have not forgotten about my readers. Thank you all very much for your reviews. Here is chapter 11. I hope you like it, and if you have any ideas you would like me to write about just let me know.

Quigley sat alone in his usual place for lunch. It had been a couple of months since the meeting with V.F.D. The first semester of school had ended a couple of weeks ago, and he had been assigned some different classes. Some different classes with Violet. He had three new classes and all of them were with Violet including first hour.

Quigley frowned at the thought of first hour. He sat one seat behind Violet on the row next to hers, but that also meant that he sat right in front of Linsey Bancroft. It seemed she had developed a crush on him as soon as he had stepped into the room that first morning and sat down in front of her. He had nearly choked on air when she had leaned up and whispered just how hot she thought he really was. That had happened two days after he had started taking the class. He hadn't told anyone about it, especially not Violet. He had avoided Linsey as much as possible, but Linsey was the type of girl who got what she wanted. And, sometimes, she just wouldn't be ignored.

"Well, hello there, Quigley."

Quigley sighed. Apparently, this was one of those times.

"Hello."

"Are you sitting alone?"

Quigley shook his head. "No, I have someone joining me. They just had to finish up a test." He didn't mention his brother, sister, or Klaus who were all currently on a field trip for their Disguise and Conquer class.

"Well, then, may I join you?"

"Well, I don't know if-"

"Great." Linsey said as she sat down next to him. This was not what he wanted. The one chance he got to eat lunch with just Violet, and Linsey comes along and ruins it. At this rate, he'd never get to ask Violet his question. He didn't want to be rude, but he really wanted her to go away.

"So how was your day, Qui-gley?"

He cringed at the way she had said his name; as if he was her pet.

"It was ok." 'It'd be better if you'd leave me in peace.' he added to himself.

"Well, my day was wonderful. I got an "A" on our history paper that everyone else failed, of course. Rebecca gave me her new shoes she just bought yesterday. Well, of course, she didn't want to give them up; but, with some convincing, she changed her mind. They match my eyes perfectly. Have you ever noticed my eyes? Of course you have. Anyway, they…"

Quigley stared at his untouched food and did his best to tune her out, meaning completely ignore every word she said about how wonderful she was and how her shoes matched her eyes. Was he sure she liked him? Because, from the way things were going, he'd be dead by the end of lunch. This was torture. She reminded him somewhat of Esme.

Quietly to himself, he started listing off the places he would rather be than here: maybe with his friends and siblings on their field trip, perhaps with Sunny at nap time, alone with Violet in a secluded portion of the lunch room where they could actually have a conversation, or with Violet in the tunnels.

He snorted quietly; and Linsey continued, not hearing him. He'd rather be in a bird cage hanging off the side of a cliff then here. Oh, how he wished she would just dislike and insult him like she did everyone else.

"Oh, hello." came a quiet voice from above Quigley's lowered head. His head shot up, and a smile spread itself across his face when his eyes fell on Violet. He stood, took her tray, and offered her a seat across from him since the one beside him was already filled. Violet looked uncertainly from Quigley to Linsey then back again before hesitantly sitting down. Quigley placed her tray in front of her and sat down.

Linsey, noticing Quigley's actions, frowned. " Hello, Vi-o-let. Do you usually sit at this table?"

Over the past few months, Violet had begun to share Isadora's opinion of Linsey. And Linsey hadn't been helping her case at all. "Yes, I do, in fact, sit here every day."

"Well, what do you know? I've decided to sit here, too. This is just my first day." she replied, batting her eyes at Quigley.

Quigley almost snorted the water he was presently drinking out of his nose. He coughed as he set his glass down. "What?" he asked hoarsely.

"I'm going to be sitting here from now on; that is, if you don't mind. But I know you don't, because I know you appreciate _me_ sitting next to you. I mean, you're surrounded by boring people all day-"

"I'm right here. And Klaus, Duncan, and Isadora are not boring." Violet stated frowning at the girl.

"And you being so, dare I say, interesting; it must be a relief to have my privileged company." she finished as if Violet wasn't there.

Quigley was getting upset. "There's no reason to insult my friends like that. Violet here is as interesting as I am, if not more."

Violet lightly blushed at the compliment and hoped Linsey hadn't noticed. But her blush disappeared when she looked up to find Linsey practically drooling over Quigley.

"Mhmh, I'm sure she is." she said as she scooted closer to Quigley. "But what about you? I find you **so** much more interesting."

By now, she was almost in his lap. He froze. Linsey rarely ever showed much interest in any boy. And the last time she had… it had ended badly for the boy. Quigley carefully scooted away from her. But she just scooted over to where she could plaster herself to his side, and he'd move again. This pattern continued until Quigley was halfway off the bench with Linsey pressed against his side, staring at him with a smile.

'This can**not** be happening.' he thought. 'I just wanted to sit alone with Violet and-' Violet!

He closed his eyes. Oh, no. She had watched and was probably still watching all this. She probably assumed that something's going on between me and Linsey. She could see Linsey pressed up against his side like Violet had been not too long ago.

'Actually,' he corrected himself,' it was too long ago.' But as Linsey pushed closer still, no doubt trying to be flirtatious, Quigley didn't feel the way he had felt when it had been Violet pressed against him. And she hadn't even been as close as Linsey was now. The only thing he felt was annoyed. She was interrupting his time with Violet, and he would **not** have that. He frowned and opened his eyes.

"Look, Linsey," he started in a stern voice but stopped when he turned his gaze to Violet.

She was angry. No, actually, angry was putting it nicely. Her jaw was clenched so tight; he thought her teeth might shatter. Her jaw wasn't the only things clenched either. Her fists were clenched also. He was worried she would bend her fork. Her frowned twitched, and she cleared her throat.

"You know, I'm still right here." She said trying to keep the anger out her voice.

"That's okay. We'll just ignore you." Linsey replied completely unmoved by the look Violet was giving her. Quigley didn't even think she noticed Violet at all. Linsey's smiled widened, and her arms wrapped around Quigley's neck.

As Linsey's arms encircled about his neck pulling him even closer to the owner of the bothersome arms, Quigley noticed a distinct change in Violet. She was no longer angry… She was absolutely furious. Still, she kept her seat; although she continued sending Linsey a steady glare that frightened even him.

Quigley was just about to unwrap himself from Linsey's surprisingly tight grasp, when she spoke . "How about a kiss, Quig?"

The loud _boom_ of Violet's fist on the table attracted the attention of the two sitting across from her and a few others sitting near by.

"That's it!" she yelled drawing more attention. Noticing the extra attention, she lowered her voice to a hiss. "Why don't you two stay here and snuggle, while I go sit on the other side of the room. I wouldn't want to lose what little lunch I've already eaten. Good day." And with that, she stood, picked up her tray, and headed for the other side of the room.

Quigley, opened mouth, stared after her. "Wh.. What?"

"Well, it's about time. I thought she'd never go away." She turned back to him, grinning. "Now how about that kiss?"

But Quigley wasn't listening. In seconds, he had Linsey's arms unwrapped from around him and was walking after Violet.

"Wait! Quigley! Where are you going?" Linsey called after him.

True to her word, Violet chose an empty table on the other side of the room and sat down. She looked up when Quigley slid in across from her, her face unreadable.

"Quigley." she acknowledged then turned back to her tray.

Quigley sat across from her and said nothing. Instead, he studied the girl in front of him. Her jaw was still tight, and she wouldn't look at him. Her hand was tightly closed around her fork; and he knew the other one, hidden under the table no doubt on her lap, was in a tight fist. He knew she thought he couldn't tell that she was angry, because very few people ever noticed. Even Klaus overlooked it at times. He thought he knew her pretty well, but he didn't think he'd ever seen her as angry as she had been in the last few minutes. He understood somewhat, though. Linsey had not only violated his space, but she had done it in front of Violet. He was becoming increasingly irritated with Linsey.

But what he couldn't figure out was why Violet had reacted so strongly and become so angry. He knew she would be upset that Linsey had been so rude to both her and a dear (he liked to consider himself as such) friend; but to be that angry, you would think that she was…

Quigley blinked as his heart stopped. Was Violet… jealous? A small smile slowly formed on his lips as a warm feeling spread through his chest. But he checked himself. He wasn't sure yet… but that didn't stop the joy that was ultimately spreading through his body.

Violet sighed, awakening him from his daze. "You don't have to sit with me, Quigley. You can sit with Linsey if you'd like. I won't bother you. I will leave you alone for the rest of the day."

Quigley's eyes widened. "Violet, that's-"

"It's okay, Quigley. It's fine. I don't want to impose."

His mouth once again opened in shock. She couldn't really believe that he actually…

She glanced up at him then looked back to her food which she hadn't taken a bite of. She did. She really believed that.

He didn't see any signs of anger anymore. In fact, he didn't see any signs at all. He guessed that meant she was sad.. defeated. But he couldn't tell. He could never tell if she was sad or not; not even her siblings could tell. It frustrated him at first, but then he realized that she had had years to perfect it.

'Well, you can't really blame her for believing it. Linsey was rather… convincing.' he told himself. His anger flared when he thought about just how 'convincing' she had been and what she had caused Violet to think. Now she would avoid him, and he'd never get to ask her! Life was so frustrating at times. It was just one simple question; but, at the rate he was going, he'd never get an answer.

"No, Violet, it's not-" he started somewhat desperately only to be interrupted by the changing of classes.

Violet quickly stood, dumped her untouched meal, and headed for class. And, just as she had said, he didn't see her for the rest of the day. Actually, he didn't really see her for the next two weeks. When they had class together, she never looked at him. She didn't speak to him in the halls. She even sat at a different lunch table. Klaus and Fiona joined her after Quigley assured them he took no offense. Isadora joined them after a week as well. Linsey and her friends had taken over their table, and Isadora had a very low tolerance for all of them. And it only worsened after Quigley explained what was happening. Duncan only sat with Violet on the Friday of the second week. He had sat right next to Violet. At one point he leaned over and whispered something in her ear, and she had laughed. How he had wished to be his brother right at that moment. He had been too far away to hear her laughter. Of course, with all the squealing and giggling girls, he doubted that he could hear much at all.

When she had caught him staring, she had met his eyes and sent him a small smile that had cause his pulse to increase.

That had been Friday. That had been the only night he had gotten any sleep. That morning, Isadora had noticed dark circles under his eyes. When she inquired about them, he simply shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Haven't gotten much sleep. The nightmares seemed to have appeared from nowhere." Then he left her wondering if Linsey was just that horrible and hard to get away from or if it had anything to do with why Violet seemed so despondent or both.

A/N: something bad had to happen sooner or later. I mean, it is the Baudelaires I am writing about here. And what could be worse than Linsey?.. Ok don't answer that.

Nevertheless, I hope you review. Oh yeah, I don't own anything.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Yes, I'm still here; I haven't died yet. I'm **extremely **sorry about this one taking so long. I had a major case of writers' block. On top of that, I moved, had the end of school to get through, and had two extreme cases of aggravation (my little brothers). I've been out of town for awhile. Also, I had a near death experience involving a strawberry slushy and two best friends. And now my computer has messed up so I would have had this up sooner.

Anyway, here's the next chapter. It's not very long, but it's something.

Violet plopped into her desk and set her books down with a thud. She was not ready to start a new week of school. She looked around the room. There were only a couple of other students in their seats so she lay her head on her desk and closed her eyes.

It had been only two weeks since the incident with Quigley and Linsey. She could feel her anger rise at the mere thought of the two together. Linsey was all wrong for Quigley. Quigley needed someone the exact opposite: someone smart, sweet, and kind, and not self-centered and rude. He needed someone who would actually listen to what he had to say; someone who would rather sit alone with him and have quiet conversations together rather than continuously insisting everyone talk about them and how wonderful they are with their equally detesting company. He deserved someone different than Linsey; someone who understood a lot of the pain he went through.

'Someone like me.' she thought. She sighed. She tried to convince herself that she should be happy for him, but she just couldn't bring herself to feel that way. Something seemed way off about the two. No matter how many times she tried, she just couldn't figure out why Quigley had chosen Linsey of all people. It just didn't fit. Linsey was so… Linsey. Linsey did not possess any of the qualities that Violet knew Quigley liked. It didn't make any sense.

Violet groaned and felt the headache she had been trying to avoid flare up behind her eyes. This very thing had been bothering her since she saw Linsey sitting with Quigley those two weeks ago. Needless to say, she hadn't slept very well since then.

And Linsey had been so rude. The way she had climbed all over Quigley when it was obvious that he was uncomfortable. It had made her furious. Of course, Linsey didn't notice. She was too busy. Linsey with her hands all over _her_ Quigley. And then she had asked for a kiss! The nerve!

Violet stopped herself. She sounded like a jealous schoolgirl. She learned long ago that it did no good to act like that. And her Quigley? When had he become hers?

Violet looked up when the door opened, interrupting her thoughts. Quigley quickly glanced both ways down the hall before he entered the room. He shut the door behind him and hurried to his seat. When he slid into his seat, he noticed Violet and smiled widely. Violet couldn't help but smile back. She hadn't seen him smile but once in the past couple of weeks when she had caught him staring and had given him a small smile. He looked so happy and relieved. Violet's heart sped up to see him smiling at her once again.

"Hello, Violet." Quigley said timidly.

Violet's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't realized how much she had missed his voice. "Hello, Quigley." she replied with another smile, her eyes glued to his own.

"How have you been? We haven't talked much lately."

"So so, I guess. How have you been?"

"Actually, I haven't been doing well at all. Violet, I was wondering if-"

Quigley was cut off by a voice outside the door obnoxiously proclaiming, "Of course. We all know it."

Quigley let his head hit his desk and his shoulders slump as Linsey entered followed by her group of admirers. She turned and waved her hand, dismissing them. When she turned, her gaze fell upon Quigley. A slow, seductive smile crossed her face as she approached him and slid into the desk behind him. She poked him hard in the ribs; and, when he shot up, she grabbed his shoulders to pull him back against his seat.

"Hello there, Quigley." When she received no response, she continued on. "I was wondering what we were going to do tonight. I have some free time, and I planned on you taking me out for the first time tonight."

When Quigley had removed himself from her hold, he turned to her, frown firmly in place. "First of all, I can't 'take you out'; because, in case you haven't noticed, we aren't really allowed to leave the school alone. Second of all, I already have plans tonight, and I'm not cancelling. Third and most important of all, I **don't **_**want **_to take you out."

Linsey's face showed hurt and, then, anger. The second emotion disappeared as fast as the first only to be replaced by an eerie form of calm. "Well then, it'll just have to wait now won't it." she said looking past Quigley to the teacher entering the room.

Quigley turned, confused. Wasn't she supposed to freak out and through some kind of fit? That was what she usually did when something didn't go her way. Where were the accusing remarks and harsh words? He didn't get it.

He lifted his eyes from his desk to find Violet staring at him. Relief and confusion were both present on her features.

"Violet, I really-"

'Alright class, let's begin. Before we do attendance, can anyone solve x for me?" Miss Jefferson asked gesturing to the algebra problem on the board. No one volunteered. "Violet?" Miss Jefferson prompted leaning against her desk and crossing her legs at her ankles.

Violet glanced up at the board. "52 plus y to the fourth."

Miss Jefferson smiled while the rest of the class stared. Linsey just glared. A problem like that would have taken almost a whole sheet of paper to solve if you were lucky.

"Very good, Violet. Now, on to business." And with that, class began.

/

When the bell signaled the change in classes, Miss Jefferson dismissed them. "Don't forget your homework, 253-254. Violet, may I see you for just a minute?"

Quigley had just caught Violet's elbow. She gave him an apologetic look and shrugged. He frowned but let her go.

"I'll catch you later? Maybe at lunch?"

Violet gave him another small smile. "Sure. Auditorium B?"

Quigley grinned. "Perfect."

Violet's heart soared with anticipation as Quigley left the room. But then she remembered Miss Jefferson. She turned and saw her teacher sitting behind her desk, going through some papers and jotting down notes. When Violet stepped closer, she motioned her over to her desk without looking up.

Violet stood in front of her for a few minutes before Miss Jefferson spoke. "You are so much like you're mother."

Violet blinked, confused. When Miss Jefferson finally looked up and noticed Violet's confusion, she chuckled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that out loud."

"Did you know her?"

Miss Jefferson smiled fondly. "Yes. We were good friends all throughout school. We didn't see each other much after she married your father though."

Violet felt the sharp pang that always arose when she talked about her parents.

"I am sorry. I just couldn't help but notice it, especially on your first day." her smile grew as she watched Violet with that same I-Know-something-you-don't-know look that she had on Violet's first day.

Violet couldn't stop the smile that appeared. She already knew that she had begun to look like her mother in the last few years (Klaus had continuously reminded her), and she knew she had inherited some particular traits from her as well (acting seemed to be one of them); but it was nice to be compared so fondly to her mother by one of her old friends.

"Of course, you do have some of your father in you, but I see more of your mother than him." Miss Jefferson shook her head. "But that's not why I asked you to stay."

Violet grew nervous. "Oh?"

But Miss Jefferson just smiled. " I've been working on something, and I thought I'd get your opinion."

Violet's eyes widen slightly. "An invention?"

Miss Jefferson nodded.

"But why do you want my opinion? I'm sure there are a lot of other inventers here."

Miss Jefferson smiled again. "Because I wanted the best."

Violet blushed and smiled.

"Now, this is what I have so far." Miss Jefferson said opening a drawer and pulling out a notebook. "It's just a start, but I wanted to show it to you."

Violet bent over the notebook as Miss Jefferson pointed to one of the drawings. "You see this one? We could easily assemble it in one of the studios. There's one right down the hall actually. The only problem would be powering it. I think we could actually…."

A/N: Okay, so that's chapter twelve. Wow.. That was way longer in my notebook. Like it? Dislike it? Can't make your mind up?

Again, I am forever sorry about it taking so long. Life has been a little rough for me these past few months.

Don't forget to review. I need ideas, people. To quote a person whom I don't remember: Reviews make my world go round. Thanks to all my faithful and wonderful reviewers! Keep up the good work.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Ok, chapter 13. This is NOT my last chapter. I do plan on writing more. I figured since the last chapter was kind of short, I tried to give this one some length. It was a pretty easy chapter to write. I had fun writing it too. Anyway, on with the story.

Quigley ran for the auditorium as fast as he could.

"Hey, Quigley. Where are you headed in such a hurry? The lunchroom is that way."

Quigley slid to a stop and turned to face his sister. "I'm eating lunch in the auditorium today. You know, change it up a bit."

Isadora gave him a knowing smile. "Poor Linsey." She turned to walk away, but turned back. "By the way, have you seen Violet? Duncan has been looking for her."

Quigley shook his head. "I haven't seen her since our last class together this morning." He looked at her. "Why is Duncan looking for Violet?"

Isadora shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't say."

Quigley pondered it for a second, but soon decided that he had more important things to attend to.

"Well, anyway, I'll see you later. Have a nice lunch."

Isadora laughed. "Whatever has you so excited must be really important.'

Quigley smiled and fought against the blush that threatened to appear. "It is. See you."

"See you, Quigley."

Quigley once again started on his way; and, with each step he took, he got faster and more excited. He had thought about it all day and had finally decided to wait a little while before asking Violet his question. He figured it could wait. He was getting to spend time with her anyway even if it wasn't exactly how he wanted it. He would wait until the absolute perfect moment to ask her. It had to be romantic, special, memorable.

Quigley shook his head. It sounded like he was asking the girl to marry him. His grin doubled in size. That didn't sound like a bad idea.

He chuckled, entertaining the thought of marrying Violet as he rounded a curve going at a speed that would have put most of the school's track team to shame. He looked up to see if the auditorium door-

He let out an 'oof' as his backside connected with the floor. He got to his knees and looked up, confused. That's when his head connected with something.

"Ow!" let out a now one-eyed J.C.

Quigley rubbed the back of his head. "Oh. I'm so sorry, J.C. I didn't see you."

"Well that much is obvious."

Quigley sighed, stood and offered J.C. a hand. "I really am sorry."

J.C. smiled as he took the younger man's hand. "Yeah, I know. Don't worry about it. I was actually looking for you."

Quigley glanced at the door to the auditorium. "Really? What for?"

"I wanted to ask you if you would present one of your to one of my classes?"

"Mhmh. Sure." Quigley nodded, eyes still one the door.

"Sure? You've been asking to do this for months and now all you can say is sure? Well, don't get too excited."

Quigley tore his eyes from the door to look at the man in front of him. "I'm sorry. It really is wonderful. I'm just a little… distracted right now."

"I noticed that." J.C. replied, rubbing his now aching head. "What has you so worked up?"

"Nothing."

"Well, if this is what happens when nothing is distracting you, I'd hate to be around when you have something distracting you."

Quigley chuckled despite himself. "I'd be overjoyed to present on of my maps to your class."

J.C. smiled. "That's better. I'll catch you later to go over the details."

Quigley nodded and headed through the door. "Okay. Catch you later."

As Quigley disappeared behind the door, J.C. shook his head. "That boy." He headed around the corner Quigley had just emerged from, a smile making its way across his face. "It must be a girl."

/

Violet sat on the stage, looking out at the rather large room filled with rows of cushioned chairs. She had, of course, been in this room on numerous occasions. One of her favorite classes was taken in here. Drama.

She hadn't known why she had chosen it, at first. The only acting experience she'd had was when Olaf had plotted to marry her. She shuddered at the mere thought of it. How could _anyone_ imagine her marrying Count Olaf, much less her _enjoying_ the experience. To this day, weddings still made her nervous.

So, naturally, she had wondered as to why she had chosen this particular subject. She had known that her parents had always enjoyed theater, her mother especially. They had gone quite often and even brought her and Klaus a few times; Sunny being too young. But she had not known how wonderful her mother was at actually performing until she had joined the class and met the teacher. She was rather surprised to learn that her teacher, Ms. Califull, had also taught her mother. Ms. Califull had made it clear right away that she expected great things from Violet.

And, as always, Violet rose to the challenge. When they had first practiced their play without scripts, Violet had thought Ms. Califull was going to cry. Her eyes had become puffy and red. Violet thought she had massacred her major role when she had seen her instructor's reaction. That is, until she wiped her eyes and began exclaiming "Beautiful" over and over again. Violet's stomach had filled with relief and pride all at once.

That had been when she had understood. That had been when she realized why she had chosen the class. Because of her mother. She couldn't help but imagine, but wish, that is was her mother sitting in front of her singing her praises. Then she kept waiting for her father's face to appear in the balcony, laughing and saying that she was almost as good of an actress as she was an inventor.

But it had been J.C. who had appeared, smiling. He offered to walk her to her next class. She graciously accepted. She liked J.C. he was kind and sincere and easy to talk to. He reminded her a lot of Dewey. And the world could use a few more Deweys.

He had asked about the invention she was working on with Miss Jefferson. She had laughed and told him it was to be a surprise. He, in return, had pouted and stated that Miss Jefferson had told him the same thing and that at least one of them should give him a hint.

"So you and Miss Jefferson are friends?" Violet had inquired.

J.C. had thought about it and then nodded. "I suppose you could call it that."

Violet smiled. "Do the two of you spend a lot of time together?"

"Yes, we do. We enjoy each other's company."

Violet looked up at him. "Is that so?"

J.C. gave her a smile. "Yes. We are both quite.. fond of each other."

Violet did her best to keep from chuckling. "Ah."

J.C. awarded her with a mischievous look. "So, Violet, is there anyone you're particularly fond of?"

Violet suddenly found the floor quite interesting. "Maybe."

"Would I happen to know him?"

"Maybe."

"Will you tell me about him?"

"…. He's nice."

"Ah-ha. Well, since I now know so much about him, you're secret's safe with me."

Violet giggled. "Thank you, J.C."

A few seconds later, they had arrived at Violet's next class; and J.C. had bidden her goodbye.

Violet smiled as she remembered the adoring look J.C. had worn when he had spoken of Miss Jefferson. Just as she stood up to stretch, the door in the back of the auditorium opened.

"Okay. Catch you later." she heard Quigley say. He jogged down the middle aisle, headed towards the stage. When he looked up and saw Violet, he stopped mid stride.

Violet almost laughed at the goofy look on his face. Instead, she placed her right hand over her heart and held the other one out towards Quigley.

"O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou, Romeo?"

Quigley laughed and then smiled back at his hopeful Juliet. "It is the east, and Violet is the sun."

Violet blushed as she let her hands drop to her hips. "Hello, Quigley. You're late." She teased.

Quigley made his way up the stairs on the side of the stage. "Well, you know how it is. People are lost without me."

Violet laughed then shook her head. "So was there something you wanted to talk to me about?" She asked once again sitting on the edge of the stage.

Quigley's expression became serious, and he nodded as he sat down beside her. "I wanted to talk to you about what happened in the lunchroom a couple of weeks ago and what's been happening since."

Violet sighed. "Quigley-"

"No, wait, let me finish." Quigley interrupted, taking a deep breath. "This time I'm going to finish. Linsey is a cruel, selfish, arrogant, rude and foolish little girl. I have never and will never enjoy her company, much less her. There is and was nothing going on between us. In some strange way, she took her sitting at a lunch table with me and her continuously going on about herself as a relationship. The only reason I put up with it for so long was because I was worried about the consequences if I didn't. This morning, I'd had enough of her petty little games; and I told her so, consequences or not. I'd rather face whatever she has planned then continue on like this. She had already cost me my pride. I would not let her cost me my family and friends." Quigley took another deep breath. "So, with that said, I would be ever so happy if you would honor me with your friendship once again." He finished, looking at the floor.

The silence that followed was unbearable.

Suddenly, Violet's beautiful laughter filled the air. "I think that's the most you've ever said at one time." She said between laughs.

Confused, Quigley looked toward the girl of his dreams who was, at this moment, apparently laughing at him. It was safe to say that this wasn't exactly how he had pictured it. And he must having been wearing the silliest expression; because, as soon as Violet caught sight of his face, she doubled over in laughter and nearly fell off the stage.

Quigley's mouth fell open in disbelief. "Is that all you got from my heartfelt speech!"

Violet shook her head, still rolling with laughter. "No… Isadora.. told me, Quigley… I was.. about to apologize… for my foolish.. behavior when you.." and here, she doubled over in laughter once more.

Quigley couldn't help it as the small smile on his face grew into chuckles as he watched the girl beside him. And, soon enough, he too was consumed with laughter.

After their laughter had subsided, and they had both apologized to each other; they had eaten their lunch. After they were finished, they had talked and joked and laughed. When it was time for their next class, they made a deal.

"This is the most fun I've had in weeks." Violet commented as they headed out of the auditorium.

Quigley nodded then stopped. "Why don't we do it again?"

Violet considered it and smiled. "I'd love to."

Quigley smiled back and cocked an eyebrow. "Wednesday or Thursday?"

Violet tilted her head. "Why not Tuesday or Friday?"

"Because Tuesday and Friday are for next week."

Violet laughed, something she realized she'd done more of today then in the past few years. "Alright, Thursday."

Quigley bowed and caught her hand. "As the lady wishes, so is my command. I await our next meeting with bated breath, my dear Violet."

Violet blushed but slapped his arm playfully. "Come on, Romeo, or we'll be late."

Quigley grinned as Violet waved and headed towards her classroom.

As he turned toward his own classroom, he was happier than he had been in days.

A/N: REVIEWS! I need them like a fish needs water! Tell me if you liked it or not. It's not good to keep things inside. You have to tell how you feel. It's good for you. I await your reviews with bated breath. :)


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Dear Readers, I am still here. Please do not kill me. I apologize for taking so long, but I have been extremely busy and had a very serious case of writers' block. Yes, even the greatest of us have a case of it once in a while. But once I finally brought through the incredibly large wall of writers' block, I wrote probably the longest chapter I have ever written, and my hand is paying for it. But I hoped to get this out on Christmas as a present from me to you. So here it is. Merry Christmas everyone! And, yes, it is _Merry Christmas_not merry xmas or happy holidays… it's Merry Christmas. If I offend you.. Well, I don't really care. But on with the story. Again, I don't own anything but the plot. That's mine like it or not.

And so the pattern was laid, if you could call it that. At least one day a week, they would meet in the same auditorium and have lunch. They would both take turns sharing things that had happened that week while the other one ate. After they had both finished, they would joke and laugh and talk about whatever they wished. Violet had never known that there could be so much to talk about. Quigley, on the other hand, seemed to find listening much better. He always encouraged her to continue on. In truth, he just loved to hear her voice.

Violet leaned against her elbow and listened to Quigley talk about Linsey's latest attempt at getting him into trouble to win his affections; which, in Violet's opinion, wasn't a very good strategy. She had been causing Quigley trouble for a while now. It was never anything big, but it was a nuisance that he could have done without.

"… and then she tried to blame it all on me. But Miss Jefferson had been standing in the doorway the whole time. A good thing too or I would have been in serious trouble."

Violet nodded. "Miss Jefferson is tough. She doesn't fall for all that nonsense. She is probably my favorite of all my teachers."

Quigley tilted his head and smiled. "So I've noticed. You two spend an awful lot of time together. I'm starting to get jealous."

Violet laughed. "I'm not telling you what we're working on, Quigley. It's a surprise. And I spend a lot of time with you too. You both make wonderful company."

Quigley pouted. "Well, since you refuse to tell me, you'll just have to find a way to make it up to me."

"How about we explore the tunnels this afternoon? P.E. is extended today so we would have a lot of free time."

Quigley nodded. "That sounds wonderful. I haven't been in the tunnels in a while. The last time was with you."

Violet blushed at the memory. "I'll try to be more careful this time."

Quigley just smiled. 'There's really no need. I wouldn't mind catching you again. Although, I don't think I could let you go this time.'

"And it's only been a few months." Violet said shaking him from his thoughts.

"Well, it's still too long for me. I've always enjoyed wandering through the tunnels. It has always given me a quiet place to think."

"Well, then it's decided."

"We should meet in the same place we did last time. Do you remember?"

Violet nodded as they opened the door to the auditorium and headed down the hall.

"Then I'll see you this afternoon. Can't wait." He called as he took off down the hall.

"Neither can I." Violet replied quietly. She couldn't help but be excited.

/

Quigley headed for the agreed meeting place at a fast pace. When he arrived, Violet was not there. So, he sat down in the grass with his back against the wood and waited. His eyelids soon started to droop. 'I wonder how long it will take her to get here.' He thought as he stifled a yawn. 'She'll probably be here in a few minutes. She has never been one for being-'

"But I **saw** her! She did it, Miss Fulton."

Quigley sat up. Who in the world was making all that noise?

"I didn't do it. I couldn't possibly have done it. I was in a completely different area at the time."

Quigley's eyes widen as he stood up. That was Violet!

"I saw her. I know I did."

Quigley peeked around the pile of wood to see who was accusing Violet.

"I saw her walk past it only minutes before it was discovered missing."

Quigley's eyes narrowed. Linsey. It was Linsey who was accusing Violet. His stomach turned in anger and disgust. He carefully made his way out from behind the pile of lumber and pushed through the large crowd that had gathered, apologizing as he went. When he got to the inner circle of the crowd, he could see both Violet and Linsey clearly. Violet stood calmly to one side with her arms at her sides and a frown upon her face. Linsey, however, looked like a pouting toddler. Her bottom lip was so far out it could almost touch her nose. Her arms were thrown out at an angle to her sides with her hands balled up into little fists. Miss Fulton stood in between the two with her arms folded and her mouth in a line. It was safe to say that she didn't look happy.

"I **saw** her." Linsey repeated as she stomped her foot trying to get her point across. It only succeeded in making Miss Fulton frown.

"Alright. Start over, Linsey. Tell me your side of the story." She said patiently.

"It was right after lunch began. I saw Violet rushing down the hallway in the opposite direction as my locker. I didn't think anything of it until after lunch when I opened my bag and found my necklace missing. She stole it. She was the only one around."

Violet bit her tongue and waited for Miss Fulton to grant her a turn to speak. Miss Fulton nodded her head then turned to Violet.

"Okay. Go ahead, Violet."

"First: The reason I was rushing was because I was late for something important. Second: Why on earth would I take your necklace? I don't need the money, and there would be no point in wearing it because everyone knows it's yours. Third: I'm sure someone else could have walked passed your locker while you were at lunch, and you just didn't see. Fourth: J.C. was with me when I passed your locker."

Miss Fulton opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Linsey.

"You could have taken it just to spite me. You seem to enjoy taking things from me."

For the first time since the argument had begun, Linsey's eyes left Violet and settled on Quigley. She quickly turned her attention back to Violet, but Violet and Quigley had already noticed. Violet's jaw tightened as an evil grin formed on Linsey's face. "And who's to say that _you_ didn't come back to take it? Who's your witness for that?"

Violet's heart sank along with Quigley's. She knew. They didn't know how, but she had figured it out. She could get them into a lot of trouble. A boy and girl were never allowed to eat alone. This was it. They were going to be in serious trouble. Ideas flew through Violet's head. Maybe she could get Quigley out of trouble or at least only given a minor punishment. She looked at Quigley who was deep in thought. Just as he opened his mouth, Violet realized that he was about to try and do the same for her.

"I am."

Quigley's mouth closed as he looked around to find the owner of the voice. J.C. appeared inside the circle and moved to stand in front of the trio.

"I'm her witness for before and during lunch." He looked straight at Violet. "She never left my sight."

Violet struggled against the heat that was spreading across her face. How long had he been watching her and Quigley? Or was he just lying to keep her out of trouble?

"But.. but… She did it… She had to have done it." Linsey stated feebly.

Miss Fulton sighed. "Linsey, we have a witness that says she didn't do it. And not only is it a witness but a teacher no less. I just don't believe she did it. It's over. I'll notify the office about the stolen item, but this discussion is over."

Violet turned to walk away.

"But of course she did it. She's jealous of me!"

Violet rolled her eyes as she continued walking, almost to the edge of the crowd. "Why would I be jealous of you?"

"Probably because I actually have parents that love me."

Violet stopped but didn't turn around. "My parents loved us."

Violet could practically hear the sneer in Linsey's voice. "Oh, I doubt that; and I'm not the only one. If they knew so much, they had to have known that someone was out to get them; that's probably why they sent you out of the house that day. If they had really loved you, they wouldn't have left the three of you all alone as orphans. And left you, so young, to take care of your siblings. They had to have known how hard life would be from then on, especially for you."

"Miss Bancroft! That's enough." Miss Fulton yelled. The crowd had fallen silent by then.

Violet spun on her heel to glare at the girl. "My parents loved us." She said again through clenched teeth.

Linsey's cruel smile grew wider. "No, I think not. Especially not your mother. Without you, I bet she would have run of with her _Romeo_ and forgotten your father. But the day you were born, she was sealed to her fate. Oh, that's right, you didn't know. She wasn't truly in love with your father. She loved someone else. But when you arrived, I bet that's when she realized she couldn't just leave. **You** changed everything. And I bet she hated you the most."

Something inside Violet snapped. Her anger boiled over and mixed with the pain. She was going to put Linsey in her place. She pushed forward, but someone gripped her arm and held her back. Miss Fulton pulled Linsey back and tried to quiet her but was meeting with very little success.

"Is that what you're going to do, Violet? Abandon your love at the smallest sign of trouble and break his heart? I'd watch out for her, Quigley. She is her mother's daughter!"

Violet was almost free from the hand that restrained her when another took hold of her other arm. "Let go!" she spat as she turned to see who had grabbed her.

"No." Violet's eyes widened. It was the mystery man! The one who always hid behind his hat. But she could see his face clearly now. Dark circles were under his eyes and lines formed at the corner of his mouth as if he were more used to frowning rather than smiling. He looked older and worn. She could tell that he had not had an easy life just by his face. His eyes captured her the most. His eyes held a pain, sorrow, and longing that Violet imagined were reflected in her own eyes. But it wasn't any of these that stopped her effort to escape. It was the hope that flickered across his face as he stared at her and mouthed a single word.

Miss Fulton had given up her attempts to quiet Linsey. So when J.C. captured her arms, the P.E. instructor simply slid her hand over the young girl's mouth. "You are in serious trouble, young lady." She said as they carried her towards the school. The crowd began to disperse, the drama being brought to an end.

"Violet? Are you okay?" came Quigley's soft whisper. Violet pulled her eyes away from the older man's face and turned to Quigley who had been the first to gently but firmly grip her arm.

"No, Quigley. I'm not."

Quigley gently pulled her into his arms. He crossed his arms over her back as Violet's arms slid around his waist.

"I'm sorry, Violet." He said as he stroked her hair.

"Quigley…" Violet said as she squeezed him tighter trying to rid herself of the burning sensation behind her eyes.

"I'm here, Violet. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. I promise." He held her closer to emphasize his point.

Neither noticed as the man in the hat stood a few paces away watching them for a few seconds then walked away pulling his hat further down.

A/N: So.. What do you think? Don't be shy. It took me forever to type, but here it is. I actually wrote this for a particular someone; and, when they read this, they will know who I'm talking about. They helped me get back in my groove and gave some serious encouragement.

I hope you enjoyed it. Remember, reviews make my world go round.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: So so so sorry about it taking so long. I've had a rough few months. Been really busy. I know that's not really a good excuse, but I had some trouble with this chapter. I wasn't sure how to tie it all together.

But here it is, the next chapter in my tale of the Baudelaires, mainly Violet. I sincerely hope you enjoy it, and please don't be shy about reviewing. I love reviews. Reviews make me want to write more. So if you want more then review. If not… review anyway. Review.. such a funny word.. anyway. Enjoy!

"_Mommy, does Klaus love me?" Four-year-old Violet looked up from taking apart her remote controlled toy and stared into her mother's face._

_ Beatrice Baudelaire set her little boy on the floor, watched for a second as he selected a car to beat into the carpet, and then smiled at her eldest child. "Of course he does, Violet. What would make you think otherwise?"_

_ Violet folded her small hands into her lap and presented her case to her mother. "Well, whenever I try to sing him to sleep, he just cries louder. And when I pick him up, he squirms and squeals. He runs from me when I try to give him a hug and hits me when I ask for kisses like you. And when I do get to hold him, he always wants someone else. He doesn't like me, and he's mean."_

_ Beatrice did her best to contain her laughter at the adorable pout that overtook her daughter's face as Violet spoke of her brother's antics. "He's still too little to understand, Violet. It takes a long time and lots of patience to get him to sleep. He squirms when you pick him up because sometimes he isn't in the mood to be held. He runs from you because he's playing with you. It's the same for when he hits you. That's the way he knows how to play. And he doesn't always want someone else. It's just that sometimes he's not in the mood to be held by anyone but mommy and daddy. Don't you have those moods at times?"_

"_Well, yes Mommy, I do. I guess. But hitting isn't a fun way to play."_

_ Beatrice's smile grew. "He's only a child. Don't you remember whose room he runs to as soon as he wakes up in the morning? Who he cries for every time they leave for school? And who he waits for at the front door every day at three o'clock so that he can be the first one to greet them? Who he runs to every time he knows he's in trouble? He loves you, Violet. And he'll love you even more as you both get older. Would you like to know why?"_

"_Why?"_

_ Beatrice knelt in front of the girl and gently took her face into her hands. "Because I know you'll be a wonderful big sister."_

_ Violet smiled. "The best."_

_ Beatrice kissed the girl on her forehead and stood to pack up her books._

"_Mommy?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_Do you love me?"_

_Beatrice's heart broke. She turned and looked into the wide earnest eyes of her beautiful little girl. She slid to her knees slowly this time and gripped Violet's shoulders firmly._

"_Violet. You have no idea how much it hurts to have you ask me that."_

_ Violet reached for her mother. "I'm sorry, Mommy. I didn't-"_

_ Beatrice silenced her then continued speaking. "Because if you have to ask me that, then I'm obviously doing a poor job of showing it. I love you more than my own life, Violet. I would give anything for you, just to hold you close and keep you safe. You and Klaus are my life and my world, and I never ever ever want there to be a reason that you doubt my love for you. I love you so so much! Don't you ever believe otherwise. Understand?"_

_ Violet sniffled and nodded. Beatrice pulled her into her lap and rocked her back and forth._

"_I love you too, Mommy." came Violet's soft reply._

"_Don't ever forget, Violet." Beatrice struggled to keep the tears out of her voice._

"_I won't. I won't. I promise."_

_ Beatrice buried her face into Violet's and cried silent tears._

Violet shot up in her bed. Tears were pouring down her face, and she was shaking. She laid her head on her knees.

She had forgotten that, though she didn't understand how. That had been the first time she had ever seen her mother cry. It seemed like a lifetime ago. But, as she thought of it, it came back to her as clear as day. She remembered clinging to her mother trying desperately to comfort her. Now she simply wished that her mother could be there to comfort **her**.

/

Violet arrived early for class and sank into her seat. She laid her head on her hand and stared at the whiteboard.

Her brother and sister had met her at the door last night. They tried consoling her, having heard about what had happened. Violet could see the anger in Klaus's eyes and the hurt in Sunny's. She had summoned up her growing skills at acting and had given them a small smile.

"It was only a spoiled little girl spitting out lies. Nothing to take seriously. Not even worth giving a second thought, so don't. Get ready for bed. How about I tell you and Beatrice a story tonight, Sunny?"

Sunny's eyes had lit up. "Beatrice would love that."

This time, Violet's smile wasn't forced. "I'm sure she would."

Sunny always tried to act like she had gotten too old for Violet's stories, but Violet knew how much her sister still loved to listen to them.

After everyone had gotten ready for bed, Violet had said good night to Sunny and Beatrice. As she was leaving, Sunny had stopped her and reminded her of the story she had promised to tell them. Sunny had insisted that Violet couldn't let Beatrice down like that. Violet had smiled and sat next to Beatrice on her bed. She waited until Sunny was comfortable under the covers to begin her wild tale of a daring princess trying to find her way back home. Both Sunny and Beatrice had fallen asleep halfway through the story. Violet had kissed them both on the forehead and had gone to take a shower.

Only then had she let her façade crumble. The tears that she had been holding at bay had spilled out and clouded her vision. As the tears rolled down her face, she had pretended that it was just the water from the shower sliding down her cheeks.

She had gotten very little sleep.

Now, as she stared at the front of the room, J.C. sat in the desk beside her.

"You look tired."

Violet blinked then turned to find him sitting there. Exactly when had he come in? "Hello, J.C. you look lovely as well."

J.C. smiled. "I could get squashed by a truck and still look lovely."

"I'm sure there are people who would disagree with you."

J.C. shrugged. "There always is. I tend to ignore them." His smile faded. "But on a more serious note.. We have to talk."

Violet sighed and closed her eyes. "About?"

"You and Quigley."

Violet bit back a groan. "What about Quigley and me?"

J.C. chuckled. "Violet, you and I both know that you are one of the brightest students in your class if not the entire school. Don't play dumb."

Violet decided to take that as a compliment. "So you really were watching us."

J.C. nodded.

"For how long?"

"For a few weeks. After Quigley ran into me when he was on his way to the auditorium, I noticed he wasn't at lunch. I had figured it was a girl." J.C. looked Violet up and down as her face grew warm. "I just didn't know which. Obviously one that was important, the way he was rushing around and all distracted. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be you. When both of you would be missing at lunch, I'd go to the auditorium. You should always try to meet in different places and at different times. Try not to be predictable."

"I'll remember that. That's probably how Linsey figured out we were having lunch together. She probably began noticing the fact that we were both continually absent during lunch. She is a lot smarter than she looks. Of course.. it probably was a tad obvious."

"She still thinks you took her necklace."

Violet's frown deepened. "I didn't."

"I know."

Violet sighed. "You know I'm the one who started it. I'm the one who suggested we eat lunch alone. It was nice to get away from everyone, especially Linsey, and just be able to talk to each other. Quigley is-"

J.C. held up a hand. "Quigley did the same thing when I had this talk with him. It's the fault of both of you. You can't get caught doing it, meeting each other. It calls for serious punishment."

"J.C. we didn't mean-"

"Don't get caught doing it."

Violet was just about to say something else when his words sunk in. Violet lowered her voice. "Are you saying that we can keep meeting, just us, and you'll keep our secret?"

J.C. shook his head. "I **can't** say that. I've watched the two of you. You're good for each other. And you haven't been doing anything really wrong. But if you get caught, there are serious consequences."

Violet smiled. She understood. He would keep their secret. "Yes, J.C. Thank you."

He smiled and stood to leave. When he was almost to the door, Violet called after him.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

J.C. looked at her. "Yes."

Violet really didn't feel like talking but felt like she should ask. She owed him that. "What about yesterday?… What Linsey..."

J.C. shook his head. "No. I'm not going to pretend I understand. I never really knew my parents so I don't truly understand what you're going through. I never knew your parents so I don't truly know what I could say to help there. I do know how hard life can be, though. I do know that if you ever need to blow off steam, talk about problems you're having, or just need someone who's there; you can always come to me. I do think you need to talk to someone. Someone who knew your parents, who understands. It's not good to keep it all in. no matter how strong you are."

Violet smiled. J.C. understood her better than he realized. It always upset her when people acted like they understood things that they hadn't been through. Then what they offered was pity. And she was never one for pity. "I'll talk to someone."

"Good. The next few weeks are going to be hard on you. Linsey will want to stir you up and get you in trouble. She's angry about getting in trouble instead of you. She's angry that you won't cave. And, of course, the necklace that she still thinks you took. Don't let her get to you. It's not worth it. "

Violet nodded. "I won't."

J.C. opened the classroom door and looked at her again. "One last thing, Violet." She looked up at him.

"You are an extraordinary person and an amazing young lady. Your parents would have been absolutely blind or complete idiots not to love you. And from what I know, they were neither." Then he was gone.

Violet smiled as she stubbornly wiped away a stray tear. She hated crying even when she had the right to.

She fully understood why J.C. reminded her of Dewey. Like Dewey, he believed in them, protected them, understood them… loved them. She realized she trusted J.C., and she truly believed he wouldn't break her trust.

And she believed that he was right. She had to. Because as she sat and waited for everyone else to come to class, all she could hear was the echo of her mother's voice. She wouldn't forget. She couldn't. She'd promised.

"I love you too, Mom."

A/N: This chapter focuses more on Violet's response to the events of the last chapter and her relationship with J.C. Of course none of you need to be told that.. but I like sounding smart so I said it anyway.

The scene between young Violet and her mother was completely my idea. I think that Beatrice might have possibly feared that her children would think that she despised them because of the love she once had for Lemony and that they may have forever split the two apart; when, in actuality, it wasn't them.. I may be completely wrong, but oh well. I have not read the Beatrice letters.. I cannot find them anywhere so I don't know if I'm close or completely off. And it may just be the ramblings of my random and strange mind, but I thought it was good.

I love my mom to death and want to be like her so I probably instilled a little of that into Violet in this story.

Anyway, here it is. I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will be up as soon as possible. Working on it as we speak.

Oh yeah, and nothing but the plot belongs to me. Lemony claims the rest… except J.C. He's mine.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Here it is! The next chapter. I hope you aren't so mad at me that you don't read it. Once I got started this chapter came rather easily. It was the starting that was a pain in the neck. Anyway, I truly hope you enjoy it. I sincerely apologize for it taking so long. Yume74! Where are you? I actually kinda miss you always on me about writing more. But I love all my reviews. They make me determined to write more. (hint hint) On with the story.. as I have said many a time to you wonderful people… I don't own anything. Man, if citing papers could only be that easy… I digress.

Violet sat next to Klaus on the bleacher and looked around the gym. Why they called a meeting in the gym and not the auditorium, she did not understand. The room was packed with students, staff, and volunteers. A lone microphone stood in the center of it all.

Violet felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned to see who it was and smiled. "Hello, Amy. You weren't in class this morning."

Amy Vickings returned Violet's smile. "Yeah, I had a meeting with Mr. McCain. Why? Did you miss me?"

"No, not really. But I swore Linsey was going to go into a panic attack. I was worried that Miss Jefferson might have to send her to the nurse's office.. or someone was going to have to perform CPR."

Amy laughed as she gently pushed Violet. They both knew that Linsey disliked Amy almost as much as she did Violet. "And I'm sure you would have been the first in line to perform mouth to mouth."

It was Violet's turn to laugh. "Oh most definitely. If it was only just to see her face when someone told her what I had done."

Violet and Amy broke into a fit of laughter. Klaus just chuckled as he watched his sister and her friend. He was glad Violet had made some new friends. She seemed happy here. And that made him happy.

"Hey, Klaus." said Amy as soon as she could speak again. "Did you know you had a crazy sister?"

Klaus laughed. "Oh, always. She wouldn't be any fun if she was completely sane."

Violet shook her head but couldn't hide her smile. "Do either one of you lnow what is going on here?"

"Nope."

"Not a clue."

"I think it's some type of V.F.D. meeting. I don't know why so many of the volunteers are here though. It may have something to do with the influx of students. This is the most they have ever had."

Violet turned just in time to see Quigley sit down next to her. She offered him a smile and a nudge. He, in turn, offered her the same.

"Well, you are just always informed aren't you, Quigley." Amy said, smiling.

Quigley shrugged. "My brother is basically a reporter."

"Where is Duncan?"

"He had to sit with Isadora in section across from us with Linsey. I was lucky enough to slip away. Why? Are you looking for him?"

A sly smile crossed Amy's face. "Maybe."

Violet turned to look at her friend. "Wait. This is the first I'm hearing about this. Since when do you care where Duncan is?"

Amy leaned back and rested on her hands. "He's cute."

This made Quigley laugh. "You do realize that he looks just like me, right?"

Amy turned her sly smile on Quigley. "Yeah, I know.. He's cute."

Violet unconsciously scooted closer to Quigley, frowning. Amy had never said anything about having a crush on one (maybe both) of the Quagmire brothers. Of course, they had never really discussed guys.

Quigley glanced at Violet, smiling, as he felt her leg press against his. She was so adorable.

Amy, for her part, did not notice any of this.

"So you think my brother is cute?"

"I thought we already covered this."

"So, by default, you think I'm cute too?"

"I guess that would be the general idea, yes."

"He's not cute."

Amy and Quigley paused in the middle of their joke and looked at Violet. Even Klaus had turned his attention to her.

"Well, ouch, Violet. Way to injure a man's pride and self-esteem." Quigley said, hiding his hurt.

Violet, realizing how her comment must have sounded out loud, was quick to try and repair the damage. "I didn't mean it like that. You're right, Amy. Duncan is cute- this of course coming from the perspective of a friend- but Quigley doesn't look exactly like him."

Quigley's shoulders slumped, and Amy held back a snicker. Klaus, too, was trying not to laugh. "I don't think that's helping, Violet."

Violet's eyes widened as she tried to figure out a way to explain what she meant. "That's not-"

"Vi!"

All four of the young volunteers-in-training turned their heads towards the cry. Sunny and little Beatrice were standing at the bottom of the bleachers. As soon as she had seen Violet, she had given her little cry and had taken off up the steps as fast as her little feet could carry her.

Violet grinned, conversation forgotten, and opened her arms to the toddler even as she said, "Don't run on the bleachers, Beatrice. You'll trip and hurt yourself."

Beatrice's pace slowed, but Violet's warning didn't stop her from throwing herself into Violet's waiting arms. Beatrice walked and talked quite well for a three-year-old, but Violet was always cautious and very protective.

"Hey, sweetheart, how was your day?"

"Good. I played outside." Beatrice said before yawning.

"Did you take a nap?"

"We had nap time."

Violet tried not to smile. "Did **you** take a nap?"

Beatrice began playing with the buttons on Violet's shirt. "Beatrice?"

"No, she didn't. She barely closed her eyes the entire time. I had to keep shushing her." Sunny had made it up the bleachers and sat beside Klaus.

Beatrice folded her arms across her chest and pouted. "You aren't supposed to tell on my, Sunny. It is against the rules."

"Who's rules?"

"My rules."

Everyone laughed but Violet who was desperately trying to keep a straight face. "You know you're supposed to take a nap when it is nap time, Beatrice."

"But I don't wanna."

"Want to, not wanna. Why not?"

"Because you don't take naps."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, I _want to_ be just like you, and you don't take naps so I won't take either." Beatrice stated matter-of-factly.

"Aww, isn't that sweet. She wants to be just like you, Violet. Poor child. She'll wind up a thief yet." came an obnoxiously familiar voice.

"Leave her alone, Linsey. She's only three. And what are you doing over here any way?" Quigley said frowning at her.

Linsey, ignoring the question, sneered. "Three? Well you started early now didn't you, Violet. And here I was thinking you were just a thief."

The group grew deathly quiet. Quigley felt his temper flare. He and Klaus went to stand to defend Violet at the same time, but Violet was quick to stop them.

"She's not mine, Linsey. Her mother was a dear friend of ours who passed away. We promised that we would take care of her. Besides, she doesn't look anything like me. You'd know that if you had any sense, but you continue to prove to everyone around you that you are infinitely lacking in that area."

As the others stared at Violet in silent shock, Linsey tried to form a comeback. She was interrupted by Mr. McCain steeping up to the microphone.

"Hello there, ladies and gentlemen." His voice boomed and he took a step back. "Oh, that's loud. Anyway, I know you are all absolutely overjoyed to be here so we will try to take up as little of your time as possible."

The audience chuckled while Linsey found a seat. "As you all know, we have recently had an increase in the number of attending students. This is actually the most students we have ever had at one time. So, this year, we have decided to do things a bit differently." He paused. "We have decided that we will let not only seniors but all those who meet the minimum requirements volunteer for a mission or two under the guidance of a trained V.F.D. volunteer."

A murmur spread throughout the student body. Violet looked to where J.C. and Miss Jefferson were standing. They seemed tense. Perhaps they didn't like this idea. Violet did not care for this idea very much either. She did not think it was safe sending students still in training out there. She knew that nothing involving the V.F.D. was really safe, but she still remembers what she went through. Most of her classmates have never left the safety of their parents' home. Of course, how safe was their home?

Violet shook her head and focused on Mr. McCain. "Now, this is your choice. You can choose to do it or not. It will not affect your grades or anything else. It is only to let you get a feel of how working for the V.F.D. will be like. The requirements you must meet are stapled to all the announcement boards in every hall. If and only if you meet the requirements and you wish to volunteer, schedule a meeting with me or one of your teachers. That is all."

As soon as he finished, everyone made a beeline for the exits. Apparently, they were all eager to see the requirements.

Violet, Quigley, and their group slowly made their way to the nearest exit. Amy shouted something about seeing Violet and Quigley in class the next day and was the swept away by the crowd. When they had finally made it through the majority of the school, Quigley turned to Violet.

"So.. What do you have planned now?"

"Right now, I'm going back to our rooms and getting everyone settled in and doing their homework." A collective groan was heard from the two younger Baudelaire children and a giggle from Beatrice.

Quigley nodded. "Well, when you're finished, would you like to meet me outside? I feel like going for a walk and it gets awfully boring with some company."

Violet understood what he meant. He wanted to meet outside the tunnels. "Sure."

Quigley smiled and headed toward the doors that lead outside.

After Violet had settled Sunny and Beatrice in, he asked Klaus if he could help them with their homework. He had, of course, jumped at the chance to help his sister out.

Violet was now trudging through the woods following the markers. When she finally reached the entrance, Quigley was waiting for her.

He was unusually quiet as they climbed into the tunnel and began walking. After a few minutes, he stopped. "What do you think about this whole student volunteering thing?"

Violet sighed and shook her head. "I don't think it's a good idea. It's dangerous out there, you know that, and I don't think any of us are close enough to being ready. Half of the students in my class haven't ever known what it is like to be alone and trust your instincts. And there's no telling how long they'll be gone or if they'll even come back. I know I wouldn't want anyone I care about out there."

Quigley had his back to her, but she saw him stiffen. When did he get muscular? And how in the world could she see them through his shirt? Those P.E. classes really were working. Not that she was complaining. Wait.. stiffen?

"Quigley, what's wrong?"

When he turned around to face her, he refused to meet her eyes.

"Quigley?"

"Violet… I volunteered."

A/N: There it is, Chapter 16. Finally up. Yes, Linsey was insinuating that Violet was a you-know-what. I just felt like telling someone off when I wrote that part. And Linsey was there for me. And there was my shot at cliff-hanging. Let me know how it went.

I do apologize for it taking so long. Remember to review. This is very important people. Review is a critical step in the writing process. Not really, only for me. I love reviews! Enjoy!


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: I hope everyone had good holidays. And please do not be angry. The reason this chapter took so long was because I wanted this one to be longer. Someone said my last chapter was kind of short so I made this one longer. I do believe you will enjoy this chapter. At least the beginning. And thanks go out to my wonderful editor. This is actually the first chapter I've ever had edited, and I really appreciate your help. Don't forget to review! This is very important people. I cannot express the joy that reviews bring me.

Violet stood in stunned silence her heart twisting. "What?"

Quigley raised his eyes to her and waited.

"Quigley?.. Why?"

He had anticipated this question. "Because I can help, Violet. It's like you said. Most of those students have no idea what's waiting for them. I do. I know. And I'm prepared to face it."

"How do you plan on helping?"

"Anyway I can."

"What about your brother and sister?"

He had seen this one coming as well. "They'll be fine. They know how to survive without me. If I go, I can help keep them safe. I can help change things."

Violet became quiet. After a few minutes of silence she whispered, "What about me?"

This question, Quigley had not expected. He flinched. "What?"

Violet raised her head and, with it, her voice. "What about me? Yes, I am going to be selfish. Did you even consider what I thought about it? We're best friends, Quigley."

Quigley blinked. This wasn't happening the way he had planned. "Of course I considered you, Violet. You're one of the reason's I decided to volunteer. And it's ok to be selfish, but-"

"No, Quigley!" Violet's voice reverberated throughout the tunnel, but she showed no sign of lowering it. "No. You're going to go off on some mission, and it's going to end up just like last time. No one will see you for years. Or worse, you won't come back. You know can be out there. You **know**, and yet you just signed up to go back out there. This is the safest place in the world right now. Safe. After everything, isn't that what you want? You can't volunteer. You're needed here. They don't need you."

For some strange reason, Violet's last statement made Quigley angry. "Maybe they do need me. They need volunteers right now. Why do you think the volunteers went underground after losing so many and the press making up false accusations? The organization is weak, but it's still here. But only if it has volunteers. I'm not going to sit by, hiding, and let everyone else get their hands dirty. Safe? It's only safe if there is someone out to make it safe. I want to keep the people I love safe. If I have to sacrifice my own safety to achieve that then so be it. You don't understand, Violet."

"Oh, no. I understand. I understand completely. You're going to run off and get yourself into trouble when there's no reason to. Not yet. In case you haven't noticed, Quigley, no one is in danger here."

Quigley stepped closer and gritted his teeth. "Are you really that dense? That man, that couple that is looking for you and your family; I'm going to catch them. I'm trying to protect you!"

Violet herself stepped closer. "I don't want you to protect me."

Quigley scowled, and Violet ignored the small voice that whined at the lack of his easy smile. "Why not? Because I'm not Duncan?" Quigley knew it was foolish, but he couldn't extinguish the twinge of jealous that he had just recently begun feeling for his brother. "Is it big, strong, adorable Duncan that you wish was protecting you?"

Now Violet was confused and angry. "What does Duncan have to do with this? Did he ask you to do this?"

"No. but does it make you happy? Knowing that Duncan wants to protect you? Is it him you want to volunteer instead of me?"

Violet silenced the dark part of her that wished he had been the one to make this decision and stood before her now, not Quigley. "No, of course not. I don't want either of you hurt. He's your brother. What in the world would make you say such a thing?"

Quigley scoffed. "Oh, come on, Violet. It's obvious. I notice how you stare at him during lunch. I sit right next to him. And whenever we're alone, I notice how you suddenly act differently because he walks into the room. How he always comes up in every conversation. How you think he is so cute. You're in love with him! And don't try to deny it. I know what love looks like."

Now Violet was just angry. "You.. You.. You **Moron**! You are absolutely blind! I don't stare at him. I stare at you. I acted differently because I suddenly realize how absolutely alone we had been, and it makes my heart race. I ask about him because he is your brother and my friend, and I know you enjoy bragging about both him and Isadora. And of course he is cute. He looks like you, and half the girls in school go stupid over you. And you don't look exactly like him. Your eyes are a lovelier blue. I should know since I spend way too much of my time thinking about them. You look stronger, and you smile so much easier. I can't breathe when you smile at me. My thoughts get fuzzy when you smile at me. The world spins when your skin touches mine and you whisper something in my ear. No one has ever done this to me before. It frightens me, the effect you have on me." Violet was so close that Quigley could see the flecks of grey in her eyes. "I'm not in love with him. I couldn't be. I'm too in love with the buffoon standing in front of me. And I'm the dense one? You are so-"

Violet never finished. Quigley quickly silenced her as he pulled her face to his. One hand tangled in her beautiful hair and the other pulled her body flush against him.

Violet couldn't think as all thoughts of the previous argument melted from Quigley's warmth. She couldn't breathe as she felt his hands brush against her hair and through her hair. She couldn't care that he was cheating as her eyes fluttered closed. She couldn't remember when she had felt so deliciously _good_. She also tangled one hand into Quigley's hair. Her other hand clutched the fabric of his school shirt. She tugged his hair to bring him closer. He groaned, and she used the opportunity to deepen the kiss.

Quigley felt the tension leave her. He felt her relax into his arms. In fact, that was all he could feel- her. All he could smell was her. All he could taste was her. He was drowning in her. And he was loving every millisecond of it.

Violet's senses tingled; and as they pulled back, she felt as though she had taken a trip to the moon and back as cliché as it sounded. She couldn't understand how she had missed the look of absolute love and adoration in his eyes. Surely it had always been there.

Quigley chuckled as he rested his forehead on hers. "You're right. I am dense."

Violet smiled. "How could you possibly think that I was in love with Duncan? Of course, I love him. But I'm not **in love** with him."

"So I've noticed."

"About time."

"Me? What about you? I've been giving you hints for years, you know. Although some might have been lost, drowned, or stolen."

"…Ok, maybe we're both a little dense. Call it even?"

Quigley laughed as he pulled Violet closer. It felt incredible to finally be able to hold. He couldn't stop smiling as he buried his face in her hair. He wanted to ingrate the silk-like feel and sweet strawberry smell into his memory. He had never felt so content. He never wanted to let go. He was sure this was where she belonged.

"Don't go, Quigley. Please. Stay." Violet spoke softly with her head against his chest. Her grip on his waist tightened as she felt him try to step back.

"Violet… I have to… I can't…"

Violet looked up to meet his gaze, her chin resting on his chest. "Stay, Quigley. Stay safe for as long as you can. Stay with me."

Quigley's eyes burned with pain and his shoulders slumped. "I can't. No matter how much I may want to. I can't back out. I made a promise."

Violet let her arms fall to her sides as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth to keep the tears at bay. He was going to leave. He was going to get hurt. And she couldn't do anything about it. She shook her head. "I understand. I don't like it, but I understand." She knew what it was like to want to protect the ones you love above everything else, like it was her duty.. her promise.

There was a brief silence before Violet spoke again. "I can't go with you. I can't… Klaus and Sunny… Little Beatrice… I can't-"

"No, no. Violet." Quigley soothed her as he hugged her to him once again. "I don't want you to come. I want you to stay here. I want you to be safe. I know it's different for you. I know you can't leave them. I'm doing this to protect you, Duncan, Isadora, Klaus, Sunny, Beatrice… I'm going to protect you, all of you."

Violet sighed. "I know." It grew quiet again. Both were looking for an excuse to stay close for a little while longer. "When do you leave? Not soon, I hope."

Quigley shook his head and for some strange reason found himself smiling. "No. I leave at the end of this school year. I'm a bit behind like you, as you know. You and I will both probably have at least an extra semester of school, but I meet all the requirements. I knew you would be upset, but I wasn't expecting this."

"Would you have volunteered if you had known?"

Quigley debated for a second. "Yes." When he felt her flinch, he squeezed her tighter. "I would do anything to protect you, Violet. I lost you all once. It will not happen again."

"A little longer than six months. That's not a long time."

"We'll just have to make the most of it. So, in light of that, I am going to ask you something that seems cliché and rather generic. But I'm going to ask you anyway. Violet Baudelaire, the most beautiful, talented, intelligent, and overall wonderful girl that has ever and that will ever grace my path… Will you be my girlfriend?"

Violet laughed. "You are so dramatic. And where is the romance?" She teased.

"What? Being held by a strong, handsome man in a secret underground passageway and receiving the greatest kiss of your life thus far isn't romantic?"

"Your kind of romantic perhaps. It'll do for now, I suppose."

Quigley grinned. "Is that a yes?"

Violet kissed his cheek. "That's a yes. But I expect better for our first date." She said chuckling.

Quigley's grin became smug. "You don't consider our rest on the slope in the mountains to be our first date?"

Violet's face turned crimson, but she smiled. "I meant our first official date as a couple."

Quigley found he loved the way it sounded coming off her lips. Violet turned and headed back to the way they had come. "It was an amazing kiss though." She said not bothering to turn around.

"I concur. But you know what they say," Quigley started as he caught up to Violet and gently turned her to face him, "practice makes perfect." And he captured her lips in another kiss.

/

Violet snickered as they raced down the tunnel. It had been exactly a week since her and Quigley had had their little talk. They hadn't told anyone yet, not even their respective families. They were trying to avoid the awkwardness; and, if they were honest, they were worried about how they would react. They wanted things to stay the way they were. They didn't want any special attention. But, nevertheless, Violet was getting anxious about telling Klaus, Sunny, and little Beatrice.

A huff interrupted her thoughts. "Violet, can you slow down? When did you start running so fast?"

Violet let out another laugh as she came to a sudden stop only to have Quigley barrel into her. They landed with an "hmph" and rolled a couple of feet.

After Violet realized they were both okay, she continued to laugh. She couldn't help but be a tad giddy. She felt like one of those lovesick school girls she had always laughed at. "Come on. Let's get up." Violet began to push off Quigley's chest, but he gripped her wrists. His chest was surprisingly firm.

"Can't…we just.. rest here… for a bit?" Quigley managed between pants.

Violet smirked. "You are such a baby."

Quigley frowned in mock indignation. "Am not."

"Are too." Violet replied as she bent down to kiss his nose. Quigley's expression shifted into the goofy smile he wore every time Violet showed such affection.

"You realize that we have to be the corniest couple ever."

"Who cares?" Violet said as she rested her head on his.

"Apparently neither of us."

Violet laughed as she stood. "Get up. There's no more running. We're here." She said pointing to the roof.

Quigley frowned and then stood beside Violet. "This is the passage that leads to the main office. What are we doing here?"

"Well, I'm going to look for a file. I was hoping you would play watch dog." She replied as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth gently and lowered her eyelashes. She had learned quickly that he could never tell her no when she wore this expression.

"Well, imagine that. The Violet Baudelaire breaking the rules. I never saw this coming."

"You don't have to help if you don't want to." She said sincerely.

He laughed. "No way would I miss seeing this. I would usually say ladies first but under the circumstances…"

Violet smiled and gestured toward the ladder. Quigley quickly made his way up and carefully lifted the hidden door. He quietly looked around then lifted the door higher. When he was in the room, he held the door and motioned for her to follow. Once they were both in the dark room he gently lowered the door.

"The trap door matches the floor perfectly. You think they know about it?" he asked as he headed for the door to the office.

As Violet pulled a small flashlight from her pocket and found the file cabinets, she replied, "I have no clue. Probably not. They most likely would have sealed if they had."

Quigley peeked out the small office window. "What is it that you're looking for?"

"The first time I was in here I noticed that they file everything. It's a long shot, but I'm hoping that they'll have a file on a certain volunteer." Violet responded as searched for the right drawer.

"Whose file are you looking for?"

"Snicket."

Quigley turned to Violet. "Snicket? Kit or Jacques?"

Violet slowly shook her head. "Neither. Their brother."

"Violet nobody knows their brother. They can hardly find him. J.C. doesn't even know where he is or what he looks like."

"He was here, Quigley. I saw him. He was at the meeting and out in the yard when Linsey accused me of stealing. It was like no one noticed him. No one saw him. No one but me."

Quigley vaguely recalled the man who had helped him stop Violet. "Maybe he doesn't want to be seen. And how do you even know that he is their brother?"

Violet stopped for a moment and then said quietly. "His eyes. He has the same eyes. Kit, Jacques, and him.. Their eyes all look alike." She glanced at Quigley and caught his skeptical look. "I just know."

Quigley sighed. "Do you even know his first name?"

As Violet pulled out the file belonging to the center of their discussion, she softly whispered, "Lemony."

Before Quigley could reply, Violet moved toward the copier. She emptied the folder and set all the papers inside the side tray. "Can't have anyone searching for a missing folder."

"Do you know how to work that?"

Violet nodded as she pressed the start button and the machine began to hum. "I watched Mrs. Lansley when she copied our papers the first day we were here."

"You are rather observant."

Violet shrugged. "It's just one of the habits that I've picked up over the years."

When the copier finished, she stapled the newly printed papers together. As she was gathering up the originals, they heard a key turning in the lock of the door to the outer office. Their eyes met in panic.

"Hurry!" Quigley whispered.

They quickly began moving. Violet finished organizing the papers and rushed back to the file cabinet. As she was opening the drawer, light flooded the outer office and seeped through the inner office's small window. Quigley had the trap door opened and Violet was carefully closing the drawer when they heard the jingle of keys and the shuffling of feet right outside the door. Quigley quickly helped Violet down the ladder and was closing the trap door as the door to the inner office swung open. Quigley hopped to the floor of the tunnel, and he and Violet were off. When they reached the ladder leading up to the woods they collapse in laughter.

"Do you think they saw us?"

"I don't know. But I'm guessing we'll know it relatively soon if they did."

As they sat against the wall catching their breath, Violet rested her head against Quigley's shoulder. "Did you get the copies?"

Without moving her head, she lifted the now somewhat crumpled papers. "Got 'em."

"Well then we should get going before we're missed." Quigley said as he helped Violet up.

"Wait." Quigley glanced at her questioningly, and Violet stilled his actions with her hand on his cheek. She gently kissed him. "Thanks for being my watchdog."

/

Violet lay in her bed staring at the papers in front of her. She had been doing this very thing for the last half hour. She continued to stare at the only words on the first page. Lemony Snicket. Violet sighed and sat up to lean against the headboard. She flipped the first page over.

Though the file was fairly small and Violet had only planned to read a couple of pages, she found she could not stop. She read on and on, absorbing interesting information but not what she was looking for. As she neared the end, she stopped. She reread the first sentence on page 24 over and over again. Then she was suddenly angry, hurt, and guilty all at the same time.

She hid the copies under one of the drawers in her nightstand, turned the reading lamp out, and turned over in her bed.

She was awake for most of the night. She spent much of the time staring at her dark ceiling. She did not truly try to sleep, because every time she closed her eyes she could see the man who hid from the world staring at her as he did that day when he caught her arm to keep her away from Linsey. He was there, Lemony Snicket, uttering that one word as unbidden recognition flashed across his face. The one word that she had read over and over again. That one word that caused him so much pain, anguish, and hope. The word that he had called _**her**_.

As she finally slipped into a restless slumber, she could hear that word repeated in a whisper.

"Beatrice."


End file.
